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
Real estate agency sprung ‘bragging’ about a $225 per week price hike
Emily Power Domain (No paywall)A property company has been exposed celebrating a $225 per week rental price rise as an “achievement”. A renter shared a screenshot of an email update from national real estate management firm Ironfish, sharing its numbers for June. “Achievement in June: Biggest rent increase – $225 per week,” the flyer said.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/real-estate-agency-sprung-b…
# Australia, Rent, Landlords and agents.Action in August
Housing for the Aged Action Group (No paywall)We have a huge line up of events for August and October - remember to save the dates. With the recent surge in covid cases, some events have been moved online. However everything is still going ahead, rain hail or shine! [Read on]
https://mailchi.mp/0bbea303edde/older-tenants-voice-summer-editi…
# Australia, Land lease communities, Rent, Campaigns and law reform, Older people.$70m that renters unknowingly owed to NT government is 'quietly' waived
Samantha Jonscher ABC (No paywall)Legal advocates say the Northern Territory government has "quietly" wiped $70 million worth of rental debt allegedly owed by remote residents who didn't know the debt existed. The existence of the alleged debt came to light when the Santa Teresa community sued the NT Department of Housing for providing uninhabitable housing stock. In 2016 the government announced it would countersue the residents taking legal action against them, claiming individual households owed up to $21,000 to the department in unpaid rent. Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights solicitor Dan Kelly represents the Santa Teresa community and said this alleged debt came "out of nowhere" for residents. "It was obviously very worrying and distressing," he said. They were under the impression they had been paying their rent as instructed through direct debits." Freedom-of-information requests revealed the Territory government alleged the community owed a total of $2 million in unpaid rent but had never pursued the debts. Also, read a similar article in 'The Guardian' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/10/nt-government-cancels-70m-in-rental-debt-for-remote-indigenous-community]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-09/millions-in-rent-owed-to-…
# Australia, Aboriginal renters, Public and community housing, State Government.The suburbs bearing the brunt of the Reserve Bank’s war on inflation
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Outer suburbs filled with first-home buyers and some of the nation’s most established suburbs are likely to bear the brunt of the Reserve Bank’s war on inflation as new data shows higher interest rates have driven consumer confidence down to the depths of pandemic’s national lockdown.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-suburbs-bearing-the-…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market, Regional NSW.The two projects doing regeneration differently
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Grainne_Cuffe visits two regeneration projects taking different approaches to integrating tenant insights and local needs into their design.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-two-projects…
# International, Public and community housing, Estate renewal.MTVH ordered to pay £1,800 compensation over silverfish infestation
James Wilmore Inside Housing (Paywall)Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) has apologised and been ordered to pay £1,800 compensation over failings in its response to a silverfish infestation at a resident’s flat. The case has resulted in the 57,000-home group becoming the latest social landlord to be found culpable of severe maladministration by the Housing Ombudsman.
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/mtvh-ordered-to-pay-18…
# International, Repairs.South Australians can soon buy their first home with low deposit on HomeStart loans
Meagan Dillon and Josephine Lim ABC (No paywall)Owning a home could soon become a reality for more South Australians with a state-government backed lender lowering their minimum deposit requirements. Eligible graduates will be able to apply for a home loan with HomeStart Finance with as little as 2 per cent deposit.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-07/homestart-loans-lower-hom…
# Australia, Home ownership, State Government.After peaking at 44 per cent growth, is Byron Bay’s property boom over?
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Byron Bay’s property boom has begun to slow down, as new figures show its rate of house price growth has halved and experts say prices could plateau or fall later in the year. The regional coastal hotspot skyrocketed in popularity when the pandemic hit Australian shores in March 2020 as home buyers left the major cities in droves for warmer climates, driving prices through the roof.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/it-was-extreme-price-growth…
# NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market.