Aussie tenants are being pushed to cop huge increases in rental payments | Better Renting report

Nine of 10 Aussie tenants surveyed are paying more rent than a year ago, a Better Renting report reveals.

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Aussie tenants have almost no hope of avoiding a rental hike, with just 2 per cent relocating without a price jump in the past year.

Nine in 10 tenants nationwide are paying more in rent than they were in the 12 months to June, with one in six being asked to fork out for a 25 per cent surge, according to New research from Better Renting.

Their annual Cost of Renting report found most of them faced a 10 per cent increase.

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But of the more than 1000 tenants surveyed around the country just 16 were able to find an alternative rental without having to pay more.

Better Renting executive director Joel Dignam said the nation wasn’t doing enough to protect tenants, and the reforms that had been introduced didn’t line up with the intensity of the challenges renters were facing.

“It sort of feels like a few tweaks and what’s needed is a much bigger commitment to reform,” Mr Dignam said.

The three-bedroom townhouse at 12/19 Earls Court, Wantirna South VIC is available to lease.

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It can be rented for $675 a week — an increase of about 14 per cent since it was last available for $590 a week in August 2023, records show.

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“I can look back at this period and say the protections that should have been in place when the market was really tight weren’t there, and that’s part of what allowed this to happen.”

He added that although in some parts of the country the rental market was beginning to soften, the damage had already been done.

“People have been living through this for a while now and it really takes a toll on people. I don’t think that goes away just because your next rent increase is a bit smaller.”

This four-bedroom house at 3 Telopea Court, Capalaba QLD is available to rent.

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It can be leased for $750 a week. Records show the rent has increased by 10 per cent from when it was last available to lease for $680 a week in September 2023.

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Despite a raft of new rental measures introduced in part of the nation — like Victoria and New South Wales proposing no-grounds evictions — Renters and Housing Union secretary Harry Millward said they didn’t go far enough.

“There’s basically no rentals in Australia that someone on Centrelink or a single parent would be able to afford,” Mr Millward said

“People are jamming into smaller and smaller share houses to save every little bit of money they can. It’s a tragedy.

“If we’re going to treat a home as a human right, then reforms need to be made that take away or at least release people from the market mechanisms of housing.”

The two-bedroom house at 138 Elswick St, Leichhardt NSW is available to lease.

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It can be leased for $780 a week — up about 18 per cent from when it was last available to rent in March 2023 for $660 a week.

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Victorian tenant Gemma said these days, renters were spending more than 50 per cent of their income on their lease, especially if they were a single parent.

“You’re struggling with the payments, but you can’t afford to move somewhere else either,” she said.

“If you want to relocate, you need about $6000 in the bank. I try to save, but it would take years for me to save that much. And then you spend it all on the move and have to save it all up again.

“It’s getting a bit ridiculous.”

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sarah.petty@news.com.au