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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See notes about the Digest and a list of other contributors here. Many thanks to those contributors for sharing links with us.
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Archive
Scottish Government announces £10m grant fund for tenants in arrears due to COVID-19
(No paywall)From Scotland ... The Scottish Government has announced a £10 million grant fund to support tenants who have fallen into rent arrears as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. ... The announcement has been welcomed by Citizens Advice Scotland. The charity has been working with the Private Rented Sector Resilience Group to share evidence with government since the pandemic began, and developed recommendations to ensure that renters were not left behind in the recovery, focused on grant support to help renters in arrears. (Scottish Housing News)
https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/article/scottish-government-…
# International, Rent, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Australia’s high house prices damage economic productivity, financial stability and equity
Duncan Maclennan, Hal Pawson and Bill Randolph Pearls and Irritations (No paywall)Recent discussion has highlighted how rising house prices are rationing growing numbers of younger Australians into rental housing and lifestyle choices falling short of aspirations. Now there are warnings that future falling homeownership rates across most age cohorts could hit the NSW Government’s budget balance.
https://johnmenadue.com/australias-high-house-prices-damage-econ…
# Australia, Rent, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Young people.“Solidarity with member organisation: the Sindicat de Llogateres Barcelona- tenant’s rights activist threatened by prison
(No paywall)The IUT has sent an urgent note of protest to the Prime Minister of Spain and the President of the Catalan government in view of the imminent imprisonment of the spokesperson of the Barcelona Tenants’ Association and 2 tenants. The right to organise in tenants’ associations is inviolable. The right to demonstrate for one’s legitimate tenant rights is sacrosanct. Peaceful protest and resistance against no-fault evictions and rent-seeking must not lead to criminal prosecution. (International Union of Tenants News)
https://www.iut.nu/news-events/solidarity-with-member-organisati…
# Must read International, Rent, Human rights, No-grounds evictions.Rental inspection checklist: Tips to organise your home
Lauren Vardy (No paywall)If you rent a property in Australia, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll experience a routine rental inspection during your tenancy. These inspections can cause stress because many tenants don’t know what to expect (or what’s expected of them!) Thankfully this rental inspection checklist will reduce your stress levels and help you prepare for your next routine inspection. (Rent.com.au)
# Australia, Privacy and access, Rent.Senior MPs see their investments soar as property markets run hot
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Cabinet ministers and their opposition counterparts are riding the housing price boom even better than the general population with increases of almost 50 per cent or $585,000 in their home suburbs and across their rental property portfolios. ... [Professor Hal Pawson] said he expected politicians to put aside self-interest when looking at housing policy. “They do have skin in the game,” he said. “It might be difficult when it comes to tax policy around investment properties given just how many politicians own rentals, but I still think most will make decisions for the right reasons,” he said.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/senior-mps-see-their-inv…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Investors look to buy homes to use as Airbnb rentals
Patrick Clark (No paywall)Investors hunting for returns in the frenzied U.S. real estate market are tapping a new strategy: building massive portfolios of houses to rent out on Airbnb. (The Spokeman Review)
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/25/investors-look-to-…
# International, Rent, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Short-term holiday letting.Tree cut in half in neighbour row over driveway pigeon poo
BBC (No paywall)From the United Kingdom ... A neighbourly dispute over a tree between two drives turned into a "war" when one homeowner cut the intrusive evergreen in half.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-57598101
# International, Neighbours.How to grow vegetables and fruit trees while renting
Koren Helbig ABC (No paywall)Anna Matilda has lived in five different rental houses in the past decade — and sustained a thriving veggie patch at each one. She even has fruit trees that travel happily with her from home to home. Her secret? The Naarm (Melbourne) permaculture gardener grows almost all her food in pots.
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-grow-vegetables-and-fruit-tr…
# Australia, Rent, Health.