Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Union calls for end to tax breaks that make Australian housing ‘a vehicle for hoarding wealth’
Dan Jervis-Bardy The Guardian (No paywall)A trade union has called for sweeping changes to housing tax breaks that it warns have “commodified” property and worsened inequality. The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) wants the capital gains discount phased out for investment properties and negative gearing effectively abolished. It also suggests the federal government replace its 5% home deposit scheme with one that allows renters to allocate a portion of their rent to buy a property. The Labor-aligned union is among several stakeholders calling for sweeping changes to the housing tax breaks in submissions to a Greens-led Senate inquiry into the John Howard-era 50% capital gains tax discount.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/04/amfu-unio…
# Australia, .First Nations remote renters win major housing case in the High Court
Giovanni Torre National Indigenous Times (No paywall)Four Indigenous remote renters have won their case unanimously in the High Court, successfully invalidating the Northern Territory government's widely-criticised 'Remote Rent Framework'. Rents have been hiked by up to 200 per cent since the former NT Labor government established the Framework in early 2023. The CLP took office in 2024 and maintained the Framework. On Wednesday, Asher Badari, Ricane Galaminda and Lofty Nadjamerrek from Gunbalanya, along with Laramba woman Carmelena Tilmouth made history in the High Court by striking out the unlawful actions of the NT Government.
https://nit.com.au/03-12-2025/21611/first-nations-remote-renters…
# Must read Australia, Aboriginal renters.North Melbourne public housing tower attracts heritage nomination ahead of demolition plan
Kate Ashton ABC (No paywall)A North Melbourne public housing tower facing imminent demolition has won a last-minute bid to be considered for its heritage value, in a twist with the potential to disrupt redevelopment works. The 'Y'-shaped tower at 33 Alfred Street is the first Melbourne public housing tower with a near-term demolition plan which has won the right to be considered for protection under state heritage laws. The heritage bid follows the Victorian government plan to replace all 44 high-rise towers with modern buildings to provide homes for more people by 2051.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-06/north-melbourne-public-ho…
# History Australia, .Landlord exodus forces New Zealand and Portugal to rethink crackdown
Maya Wilson Autzen The Telegraph (UK) (Paywall)Portugal and New Zealand have relaxed landlord laws to encourage buy-to-let investment, in what experts are calling an “important lesson” for Labour...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/property/buy-to-let/new-zealan…
# International, Eviction, Rent.Australian homes are like “leaky tents” and free solar won’t solve the problem
Anne Delaney One Step off the Grid (No paywall)When Central Coast renter and energy analyst Declan Kelly tried to heat his cold, damp home last winter using a retail plan offering three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day, he was effectively road-testing the federal government’s new Solar Sharers scheme. From mid-next year, Solar Sharers will require every retailer to offer customers a plan with a three-hour free-power window in the middle of the day — a policy designed to help households soak up Australia’s rapidly growing surplus of cheap solar. It’s pitched particularly at renters and people who can’t install PV, giving them access to the benefits of daytime solar without owning panels.
https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/australian-homes-are-like-leaky…
# Australia, Utilities water energy internet.What housing crisis? For most, there isn’t one – but look how the other third live
Kate Shaw The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)This may come as a surprise given the media narrative, but Australia is not in a generalised housing crisis. Two-thirds of the nation’s householders own or are buying their homes – they are by definition not in housing crisis. The 20 per cent who own investment properties are doing just fine. House prices in the past two decades have at least doubled and, depending on location, have increased up to tenfold. Rents are high even with market fluctuations. Australia’s home owners not only have a secure roof over their heads but are accumulating wealth in the process.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-housing-crisis-for-most-the…
# Hot topic Australia, .Aussie renter urged to report landlord for 'brushing off' huge property issue
Alison and Jillian Barrett Yahoo News (No paywall)Question: I’m renting a house with a growing list of serious problems: holes in the lounge-room wall, mould and mildew on the ceiling, crackling power points, unstable decking, bowed stairs, a back door that won’t lock, leaking taps — I could go on. My landlord keeps brushing off repairs, but the place feels unsafe and unhealthy to live in. I can't afford anywhere else at the moment, so what rights do I have if the landlord is refusing to fix hazards that are impacting safety and basic living standards?
https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-renter-urged-to-report-landlord…
# Australia, Rent, Repairs.Anderson’s Win Settles More than One Dispute on Unfair Contract Terms
Tenants' Union of NSW (No paywall)While new land lease community laws have been in place for over a year prohibiting the use of multiple elements in a fixed method of site fee increase, last year one case challenged the practice under provisions of the Australian Consumer Law. Mr Michael Anderson, a home owner at Kincumber Nautical Village (KNV) moved into the community in early January 2020 and signed a site agreement with a fixed method of increase containing five elements. He recently won his case in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), making the wait worthwhile and the case an excellent resource for home owners who now have greater clarity around successfully challenging an unfair contract term under Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
https://www.tenants.org.au/thenoticeboard/news/andersons-win-unf…
# NSW, Land lease communities.