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
Not all suburbs are equal: How heatwaves can amplify inequality
Alex Gallagher SBS (No paywall)Parts of the country have been sweltering through a heatwave that's set to continue in Sydney this weekend, with temperatures of around 42C expected on Saturday. But urban heat is not distributed equally. In some parts of Sydney — particularly the western suburbs, where temperatures during heatwaves can be several degrees higher than in the east — the forecast for Saturday is even warmer. The impacts of heat inequality are exacerbated during a heatwave. So why do some suburbs experience that heat more acutely, and can anything be done about it?
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heatwaves-sydney-vulnerabili…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent, Utilities water energy internet.Sydney man claims land in harbourside suburb under ‘squatter’s rights’
Michaela Whitbourn The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A home owner in a harbourside Sydney suburb has succeeded in claiming ownership of land next to his property under so-called squatter’s rights. The NSW Supreme Court case is the latest examination of the law of adverse possession, which allows a person to acquire ownership of land in some cases when they have occupied it for many years. At the centre of the case was a property in the inner west suburb of Balmain, which last sold in 2023 for $1.9 million following the death of its elderly owner. Both the seller of the weatherboard cottage – the daughter of the former owner – and the buyer had assumed a 3.35 square metre triangular-shaped parcel of land adjoining the site was part of the property.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-man-claims-land-in-ha…
# Hot topic NSW, .Sirius Redevelopment by BVN
Andrew Nimmo Architecture AU (No paywall)In 2018, as president of the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, I presented the state’s Enduring Architecture award to Tao Goffers as design architect for the Sirius Building. It was a deliberately political act. At the time, the building was at risk of demolition, and the jury – me, Hector Abrahams, and Callantha Brigham – thought that a strong statement about the building’s architectural merit might help to raise public awareness and assist in the argument for preservation.
https://architectureau.com/articles/sirius-redevelopment-by-bvn/
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Public and community housing, Rent.‘Prison vibes’: anger over detail in 9-person rental as rents soar again
Owen Raymond realestate.com.au (No paywall)The average Sydney tenant is already facing a $56 rent hike in 2026, according to troubling new research. As property managers anticipate a ‘very strong start to the year’ despite vacancy rates closing out 2025 at around a barely believeable one per cent, Harbour City tenants are already facing a rent hike of around seven per cent. The average Sydney renter is now paying $55.69 per week more than this time last year, according to data from SQM Research. As a result, Sydney tenants are currently enduring some alarming living conditions as the city continues to grapple with the ongoing rental crisis.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/prison-vibes-anger-over-detai…
# Must read NSW, Rent.Convicted scammer Patricia McIntyre allegedly targeting victims in new pet and house-sitting con
Tara Cassidy ABC (No paywall)A serial fraudster, previously jailed over separate rental property and car sale scams, is allegedly targeting residents with a new pet and house-sitting con. Since 2019, dozens of people have accused Patricia Anne McIntyre of swindling an estimated $75,000 from them through alleged unpaid loans, no-show bond cleans, and online marketplace scams. McIntyre was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in 2023, but was eligible for parole after serving just seven months.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-06/patricia-mcintyre-alleged…
# NSW, Pets, Rent, Security and safety.Rental crisis sees Sydney granny flat prices soar to CBD levels
Kaylee Cranley realestate.com.au (No paywall)Sydney’s rental squeeze of undersupply to demand is seeing climbing costs stretching to backyard granny flats, which are now commanding CBD‑level prices. The secondary dwellings across the city are renting out for $700 to $800 a week, with returns rivalling traditional investment properties, opening opportunities for homeowners and investors. Listed for $720 per week is two-bedroom granny flat 3A Stone Parade, Davidson. According to listing agent Mayla Pilapil of LJ Hooker Narrabeen, granny flats are more in demand in comparison to previous years as most prospective tenants would rather live in a house than in an apartment, especially in the Northern Beaches as it is a family-oriented and pet-friendly location.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/rental-crisis-sees-sydney-gra…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.What landlords are obliged to do to cool your rental as temperatures rise
Georgie Hewson ABC (No paywall)As Australia swelters through its first heatwave of the year, renters will be looking at how to keep their homes cool. If your home does not have air conditioning it can be a challenge. So how can you go about getting air conditioning or ceiling fans in your rental? And what are landlords obliged to provide? Can I ask for air conditioning? If you find your property to be uncomfortable or unsafe due to the heat you could approach the home's owner to install air conditioning as a first port of call.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-09/what-rental-landlords-are…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent, Utilities water energy internet.People on lowest incomes being denied access to social housing, research finds
Jessica Murray The Guardian (No paywall)The poorest people in England are being denied access to social housing owing to their low income, in a “catch-22” situation that is pushing more people into homelessness, research has found. A new report from Crisis said that an ever depleting supply of social homes meant that housing associations were using strict criteria to choose new tenants, and people on low incomes and in receipt of benefits were having applications denied due to being deemed too risky. The situation has been compared to “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic” by one housing association, as the homelessness charity urged the government to introduce new rules.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/08/people-on-lowest…
# International, Public and community housing.