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
'Portable bonds' on the way for New South Wales renters
Richard Wood 9 News (No paywall)Millions of renters in New South Wales will soon be able to directly transfer their bond over to a new property when they move home, the state government announced today. The changes aim to cut the number of renters facing "double bond" – needing to pay bond to secure a new rental before receiving the bond refunded from their previous home – by having the bond board digitally transfer from one property to another. The NSW government will invest $6.6 million to develop and deliver Australia's first Portable Rental Bonds Scheme.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/portable-bond-scheme-to-be-lau…
# Must read, New policy announcement Australia, Bond.Does tenancy reform ‘spook’ investors?
CoreLogic ()In today’s Pulse, Eliza Owen explores the potential impact of tenancy reform on property investment trends.
Stronger capital growth markets have seen more resilience in investor activity, despite rental reforms.
Investor lending declines when housing market returns are low.
In WA, where ‘no grounds’ evictions remain firmly in place, investor activity over the past few years has been rising strongly, and the state is attracting a higher share of investment loans. However, capital growth could be the main driver, and the high investment activity has not stopped the state having the highest rental growth in the country.
Tenancy reform is making headlines this week after the NSW government announced a ban on ‘no grounds’ evictions.
https://www.corelogic.com.au/news-research/news/2024/does-tenanc…
# Must read, Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Eviction.Houses to homes: Pets and picture-hanging OK, say new rent reforms
Sarah Brookes WA Today (No paywall)Pets and minor modifications such as hanging pictures or installing new shower heads will be allowed in most rental properties as a new tranche of rental reforms take effect on Monday. Under the changes a landlord would be only able to refuse if written laws, local laws or by-laws prevent them, or if a good reason can be provided to the Commissioner for Consumer Protection. Disputes about pets and minor modifications will be heard in new processes with the Commissioner for Consumer Protection to hear from both sides before making an independent ruling.
https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/houses-to-…
# Hot topic, New policy announcement Australia, Rent.From gated villages across Australia, retirees are sharing their financial horror stories about the land lease industry
Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett ABC (No paywall)For almost a decade, pensioners Trish Reece and her husband Wayne have been living in a gated village in Shepparton in regional Victoria, run by the controversial land lease operator Lifestyle Communities. Now they want to get out. "We don't want to live here anymore," she says. But she says they are stuck, financially, due to the so-called exit fees charged by the company when a resident sells their home. Lifestyle Communities exit fees start at 4 per cent of the selling price and scale up to a cap of 20 per cent from the fifth year of ownership. For a house that sells for $500,000, Lifestyle can take up to $100,000 in exit fees after five years.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-29/land-lease-operators-life…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Land lease communities, Starting a tenancy.Perth family facing eviction from public housing despite fear of abusive ex-partner
Daryna Zadvirna ABC (No paywall)A Perth single mother-of-five and her young children – one of whom has autism and requires significant care – are facing homelessness after having their public housing tenancy terminated amid an ongoing dispute with neighbours. Authorities argue it's for the safety of the community following dozens of complaints from neighbours over the family's anti-social behaviour. But Kylena Hill, 28, says she has nowhere else to turn and fears her life will be at risk because her violent ex-partner is out on bail, awaiting sentencing for multiple attacks on her.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-29/kylena-hill-facing-evicti…
# Must read Australia, Domestic violence, Security and safety.The Landlord's Dilemma: Renting to People With Pets
Ellen Jefferson DVM (No paywall)Finding affordable housing these days is challenging. That challenge can increase exponentially when you have a pet. Viral horror stories and confirmation bias have led many property owners to restrict pets in their rentals. This is unfortunate because these policies not only create housing challenges for many (especially in marginalized communities) but likely cost landlords far more money than they save. That brings us to The Landlord’s Dilemma: Should they follow their guts down the path of confirmation bias and restrictive policies, or should they follow the data showing pet owners are usually great and profitable tenets?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/helping-people-help-pets…
# Hot topic Australia, Bond, Rent.VIDEO: What needs to be done to fix public housing?
Tom Hartley, Emily Baker ABC (No paywall)After decades of neglect, public housing in NSW is finally getting attention, with nearly a billion taxpayer dollars pledged to overhaul the system. But it'll take more than money to fix the entrenched mistrust and disdain felt by the state's most vulnerable residents. Tom Hartley has this story with additional reporting from Emily Baker.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-29/what-needs-to-be-done-to-…
# Hot topic, Video Australia, Public and community housing, Rent, Repairs.LATESTAdelaide launches innovative housing program to transform unused spaces into homes amid crisis
Glam Adelaide (No paywall)In a new initiative by the City of Adelaide, an ambitious program aiming to convert unused building space into housing has been unveiled today, in partnership with the State Government. The Adaptive Reuse City Housing Initiative (ARCHI) plans to offer 50 adapted dwellings each year within the central business district and North Adelaide. This innovative program is backed by $500,000 in State Government grants distributed over the next two years. Adelaide, currently holding the nation’s lowest rental vacancy rate at 0.6 percent, will notably benefit from this initiative which aims to alleviate the acute housing shortage.
https://glamadelaide.com.au/adelaide-launches-innovative-housing…
# Hot topic Australia, Rent.