With most of us already bracing for bad news every time an email from the real estate agency hits our inbox, a new survey has revealed just how much renters are scared to contact their landlords when something’s wrong with the property, for fear of copping another rent hike.
According to a survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia, a considerable seven in 10 renters are hesitant to reach out regarding repairs. It found nearly half (50 per cent) of tenants live in homes that need repairs and a grim one in 10 need pretty urgent repairs.
The survey found nearly a quarter of homes have pests like ants and cockroaches (hello, health hazard?) and almost one in four (24 per cent) have leaks or flooding. Almost as many were found to have issues with hot water and mould.
Meanwhile, rents have surged a staggering 47 per cent in the past five years, per the research by the Australian Council of Social Security/UNSW Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations (NARO).
ACOSS chief Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said the figures underscore the serious failings of Australia’s cooked housing market.
“It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice,” Goldie said in a statement.
But, it’s not just a fear of rent hike either. While nearly 70 per cent of tenants feared asking their landlord for repairs at home would mean upping the rent, over half suspected it would get them evicted or that they would be blacklisted, according to the survey.
These findings were magnified for renters in disadvantaged groups, especially those who are unemployed, disabled, or with low education.
“Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home,” Goldie said.
National Association of Renters’ Organisations spokesperson Leo Patterson Ross pointed out the findings pretty much validate what Aussie renters already know.
“Despite extensive rental laws on paper, this report exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality for Australian renters. Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards, and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home,” he said.
“Federal, state and territory governments across Australia must act to empower renters through better funding tenant advocacy, ensuring fair renting rules, robust and visible regulatory enforcement, and providing genuine housing choices.”
The ACOSS/UNSW-led Partnership, along with National Shelter and NARO, have called for a series of measures to support Aussie tenants, like limiting the frequency and amount of rent increases, getting rid of no-grounds evictions, and boosting protections against retaliation.
It called for more funding for tenants advice services, along with raising the rate of income support (especially JobSeeker) so renters who are unemployed don’t feel like they have to put up with dodgy situations.
“This report further exposes the deepening crisis in Australia’s private rental market and the chronic shortfall in social housing,” added Mission Australia chief Sharon Callister, who observed urgent reform is needed to ensure safe and genuinely affordable homes.
“We strongly support the report’s recommendations to increase the supply of social housing and boost income support, critical for addressing housing insecurity and ending homelessness. We urge governments to act on these priorities without delay.”
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