It's no secret that rising rent prices are making it increasingly hard for Aussies all over the country to find a place to call home.

But a new report from Anglicare Australia has revealed just how slim pickings are for Aussie renters relying on Centrelink payments.

According to the report, out of more than 45,000 properties across Australia, less than one per cent were deemed affordable. Only four properties nationwide were affordable for someone on JobSeeker or the age or disability support pensions, and none for those on Youth Allowance.

Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said: ‘Each year, we think the market couldn’t get any worse. And each year, we’re shocked to see that it can.’

‘This year’s result is the worst we have ever seen for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the last year. This is the first time we have ever seen the number of affordable listings for a full-time minimum wage earner crash to below one per cent,’ she added.

Only four rentals were affordable for someone on JobSeeker. Credit: Ivan Samkov/Pexels

Ms Chambers explained that if full-time wage earners are finding it hard to find affordable listings, then those on Centrelink payments ‘don’t stand a chance’.

‘Less than 1 per cent of rentals are affordable for a person on the age or disability support pensions. For a person out of work, it’s 0 per cent – and that includes the highest rate of rent assistance,’ she continued.

Out of the four rentals available nationwide for someone on JobSeeker, only one was located in a major city.

Let’s take a look at what it looks like.

Below, you’ll find a one-bedroom rental in Sydney’s Cabramatta is available for $110 per week. In the listing, it is described as a semi-detached home; it has one bedroom, one bathroom, and one car park.

This is the only rental available in a capital city. It costs $110 per week. Credit: Real Estate Australia

Here’s the inside of the home:

The home has one bedroom, bathroom, and one car park. Credit: Real Estate Australia

Another property was found nearly two hours away from Sydney’s CBD in Shortland. It costs $110 per week to rent.

The rental is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom space and is a single room available in a nine-person share house.

This is the exterior of the home. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The rental is only large enough to fit a single bed:

This costs $110 per week. Credit: Real Estate Australia

About 6 hours away from the Sydney CBD in Barraba, a third rental was found available for $110 per week.

The details appeared to report the property as a studio apartment. However, this cannot be confirmed since the home has since been removed from the listing.

It appears to have a small bedroom and bathroom. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The next $110 rental was a room available in a larger, free-standing home located in Home Hill, Queensland – a 14-hour drive from the Brisbane CBD.

The rental is another room available in a share house. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The room appears to be in good shape, however.

Ms Chambers suggested that one of the most effective solutions to this housing crisis is to invest in building more social and affordable rental properties.

She explained: ‘The private market is failing people on low incomes. Even though Australia has built a record number of homes over the last ten years, rents keep soaring. The best way to make rentals more affordable is to build social and affordable homes.’

Ms Chambers added that building general homes and hoping they would become affordable isn’t working.

Here are some of the figures you can expect. Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club

‘Our social housing shortfall has now ballooned to 640,000 social homes across Australia. Ending this shortfall will help people in the most severe rental stress and free up the cheapest rentals for everybody else,’ she claimed.

‘If we do not tackle this shortfall, we do not stand a chance of ending rental stress in Australia.’

Key Takeaways

• A new report from Anglicare Australia reveals that out of more than 45,000 rental listings, only four were affordable for someone on JobSeeker and none for someone on Youth Allowance.
• The situation was described as the worst seen for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the last year.
• Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said the private market is failing low-income earners, and the best solution is to build social and affordable rentals.
• Australia's social housing shortfall has now reached 640,000 social homes. According to Ms Chambers, tackling this shortfall could help alleviate rental stress across the country.

We are sad to learn of the current state of the rental market, making it extremely hard for those in need of stable and secure housing. We’d like to hear about your experiences when it comes to looking for affordable properties. Feel free to comment below.

 

[chips]

what about all the units that expats buy and leave empty in case they come back home to live surely they should be made available that would ease the situation

 

[mylittletibbies]

I agree not all tenants are bad, in fact we have had some very good tenants in the past.
And some landlords are atrocious.
The young couple we have just offered our house had people wanting them to pay the bond upfront, before they had even seen the house.
Our house has two king size bedrooms, a modern kitchen and bathroom and a very large living area, all recently renovated, includes fridge, washing machine, microwave, lounge furniture and furniture for second bedroom.
This poor young couple thought we were running some sort of scam as we are charging $300/week, which includes water and electricity up to $400/bill and my husband will maintain the gardens. We just wanted to be able to help someone get a start in life. We are lucky that we don't have a mortgage to worry about so can see no reason to rip people off and take advantage of a desperate situation.

 

[NCJORNA]

This is so sad and you're right that would be better than on the street or in a car. I know many people who have had to move home because of the rental system. It is a disgrace that Australian families are struggling so badly, the government doesn't care. What are they doing? knocking down dept of housing houses all over the map.

It's no secret that rising rent prices are making it increasingly hard for Aussies all over the country to find a place to call home.

But a new report from Anglicare Australia has revealed just how slim pickings are for Aussie renters relying on Centrelink payments.

According to the report, out of more than 45,000 properties across Australia, less than one per cent were deemed affordable. Only four properties nationwide were affordable for someone on JobSeeker or the age or disability support pensions, and none for those on Youth Allowance.

Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said: ‘Each year, we think the market couldn’t get any worse. And each year, we’re shocked to see that it can.’

‘This year’s result is the worst we have ever seen for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the last year. This is the first time we have ever seen the number of affordable listings for a full-time minimum wage earner crash to below one per cent,’ she added.

View attachment 18548

Only four rentals were affordable for someone on JobSeeker. Credit: Ivan Samkov/Pexels

Ms Chambers explained that if full-time wage earners are finding it hard to find affordable listings, then those on Centrelink payments ‘don’t stand a chance’.

‘Less than 1 per cent of rentals are affordable for a person on the age or disability support pensions. For a person out of work, it’s 0 per cent – and that includes the highest rate of rent assistance,’ she continued.

Out of the four rentals available nationwide for someone on JobSeeker, only one was located in a major city.

Let’s take a look at what it looks like.

Below, you’ll find a one-bedroom rental in Sydney’s Cabramatta is available for $110 per week. In the listing, it is described as a semi-detached home; it has one bedroom, one bathroom, and one car park.

View attachment 18549

This is the only rental available in a capital city. It costs $110 per week. Credit: Real Estate Australia

Here’s the inside of the home:

View attachment 18550

The home has one bedroom, bathroom, and one car park. Credit: Real Estate Australia

Another property was found nearly two hours away from Sydney’s CBD in Shortland. It costs $110 per week to rent.

The rental is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom space and is a single room available in a nine-person share house.

View attachment 18551

This is the exterior of the home. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The rental is only large enough to fit a single bed:

View attachment 18552

This costs $110 per week. Credit: Real Estate Australia

About 6 hours away from the Sydney CBD in Barraba, a third rental was found available for $110 per week.

The details appeared to report the property as a studio apartment. However, this cannot be confirmed since the home has since been removed from the listing.

View attachment 18553

It appears to have a small bedroom and bathroom. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The next $110 rental was a room available in a larger, free-standing home located in Home Hill, Queensland – a 14-hour drive from the Brisbane CBD.

View attachment 18554

The rental is another room available in a share house. Credit: Real Estate Australia

The room appears to be in good shape, however.

Ms Chambers suggested that one of the most effective solutions to this housing crisis is to invest in building more social and affordable rental properties.

She explained: ‘The private market is failing people on low incomes. Even though Australia has built a record number of homes over the last ten years, rents keep soaring. The best way to make rentals more affordable is to build social and affordable homes.’

Ms Chambers added that building general homes and hoping they would become affordable isn’t working.

‘Our social housing shortfall has now ballooned to 640,000 social homes across Australia. Ending this shortfall will help people in the most severe rental stress and free up the cheapest rentals for everybody else,’ she claimed.

‘If we do not tackle this shortfall, we do not stand a chance of ending rental stress in Australia.’

Key Takeaways

• A new report from Anglicare Australia reveals that out of more than 45,000 rental listings, only four were affordable for someone on JobSeeker and none for someone on Youth Allowance.
• The situation was described as the worst seen for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the last year.
• Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said the private market is failing low-income earners, and the best solution is to build social and affordable rentals.
• Australia's social housing shortfall has now reached 640,000 social homes. According to Ms Chambers, tackling this shortfall could help alleviate rental stress across the country.

We are sad to learn of the current state of the rental market, making it extremely hard for those in need of stable and secure housing. We’d like to hear about your experiences when it comes to looking for affordable properties. Feel free to comment below.

Very sad indeed, when you think about our Prime Minister, when he announced, 240 million in funding for the development of a sporting precinct in Hobart.
Where are the government's real priorities, not housing, or Hospitals, or keeping Medicare going, because the Government is supposed to be broke, what a farce.

 

[Rob44]

Very sad indeed, when you think about our Prime Minister, when he announced, 240 million in funding for the development of a sporting precinct in Hobart.
Where are the government's real priorities, not housing, or Hospitals, or keeping Medicare going, because the Government is supposed to be broke, what a farce.

I gather that the AFL's waterfront -eyesore-to-be on public land will cost the Australian taxpayer $750 million all up. No local consultation; no national consultation. Just a done deal for the AFL. There are adequate "footie" stadiums in north and south Tasmania. No need for a new one especially at that location.

Meanwhile, the waiting lists for resolution of serious conditions at Hobart's Public hospital grow yet longer and no GP bulk-bills.

 

[Rob44]

Some people would treat their own homes the same way not all renters leave a mess not when the bond keeps getting larger with every rent increase. If you own a rental then it is worth getting Landlords insurance to take care of your investment even before you insure your own home.

Correct. And Landlord insurance does not cover "fair wear and tear, sir" which includes a mulitude of the tenant's sins including kitchen cupboard doors ripped off or hanging on one hinge, rubbish piled up in the garden, totally wrecked fitted carpets, mould (the cleaning of which is the tenant's responsibility). And then the first couple of hundred or so dollars excess paid by the landlord. And then what the local Tenants' Union is allowed legally to call what is "fair wear and tear".

Bonds; tradies spend those very quickly as tradies are expensive, as are certain materials. Check out the cost of replacing a vinyl floor that has suffered "fair wear and tear". $2000-$3000 for 20 sq m, laid? Re-sanding and sealing a damaged wooden floor, $5000?

Homeowners may treat their own homes any way they like; that is their privilege. However, tenants and landlords have a shared commercial responsibility to behave responsibly and decently and it takes but a few bad ones to give the good ones a bad name.

 

[IAN3005]

and I just heard this year alone there will be 400000 migrants - and where do they get rentals when our own can't are so many homeless.

They rent an old fibro house and then cram 50 people into the place at $100 or so dollars... believe me I have witnessed it 1st hand.
I have witnessed a dilapidated warehouse where 100 people are housed a $150 a week. There is a stream of people coming out to go to work.
There are circumstances I have witnessed that would make your hair stand on end

 

[Rob44]

I think it is despicable that Australians are homeless. There are a lot of homeless people in and around the area I live. People are living in tents and cars. You will never find a rental property for a $110 a week in Port Stephen. I don’t know how people are surviving after paying exorbitant rents. More houses for low income households need to be built.

Where I live, plenty of homeless single men, either because of divorce or other problems. I helped one bloke, retired, kicked out of his unit by his very nasty wife, try to find accommodation. Two buildings available one run by some charity and another possibly by the State gov't (that'll be the day!) but more likely a charity , one in clean condition providing Bed and Board in shared room at some cost (forgotten how much) and the other run by a charity, a dilapidated 3- storey wooden building, again Bed and Board, shared room initially, elderly battered furniture. Communal toilets, communal dining room, communal kitchens.

Neither the best from which to start a new life. Probably at the very best 200 beds available between the two and both had waiting lists. This was long before the high prices of houses hit Australia, I'd guess around 2016.

I spent two weeks running round the agencies in ever-decreasing circles being referred from one to the other to try to get support for the bloke. Australia; land of the fair go? You are bloody joking (mate)!

 

[Gsr]

There are lots of empty ex commission houses and units where I live. Some are pretty badly damaged and very old so probably full of asbestos, so basically uninhabitable. Some however are not too bad, they look like a bit of sprucing up would make them liveable. Then there are some that are perfectly ok to have people in them. I feel that some people are too fussy with what they want, if it is not a mansion with a pool they don’t want to live there. My sister lives in a tin shed, most of it unlined, no electricity, just a little bit of solar on a sunny day and a petrol generator. Concrete floor, composting toilet outside, shower in annexe to shed, no proper kitchen, parts of shed flood in heavy rain. Lots of snakes around in summer, python in the ceiling over the bedroom area in winter. Rats and mice a constant, they just chewed the coolant line to her fridge so she now has to find money for a new fridge. She is trying to survive on $700 a fortnight and supporting her 18 year old son as Centrelink won’t pay him a benefit until he has a tax file number. Fuel for generator is costing over half of her benefit, rent for shed is $200 fortnight, so she has not much money for food etc., but she would have been in her car or a tent otherwise. Looking for rental, nothing affordable. Been in shed for over 18 months now. Lucky for her a few of us siblings can help her out a little or she wouldn’t be able to afford to live, even in a shed. Shame on successive governments that more has not been done to help people with higher benefits and affordable housing. Shame on successive governments also that there are so many people living in social housing who are well able to afford private rentals, and the couples still living in 3/4 bedroom houses whose kids have moved out, surely they could be moved to a 1/2 bedroom unit to free up a house for a family. But successive government boffins live in their mega mansions and have no idea how low income, poor people struggle to just survive so they don’t really care.

 

[Defiant540]

put your name down for gov.housing! it may take awhile but once you're in you're set for life! just make sure you do the right thing

 

[mylittletibbies]

Some people would treat their own homes the same way not all renters leave a mess not when the bond keeps getting larger with every rent increase. If you own a rental then it is worth getting Landlords insurance to take care of your investment even before you insure your own home

put your name down for gov.housing! it may take awhile but once you're in you're set for life! just make sure you do the right thing

put your name down for gov.housing! it may take awhile but once you're in you're set for life! just make sure you do the right thing

Good luck with that, the waiting lists are so long and they keep giving rentals to ferals who have just trashed one house and just get transferred to another.
I had an old family friend who had her name down for 12 years and was never offered a rental. She passed away several years ago now never having received any help from state housing.
I managed to find her a private rental and covered a portion of the rent myself for quite a few years (never told her that as she was very proud and I used to pay the landlord for her myself, so she never knew).
She was 91when she died, where would she have been waiting on the govt for any help. How many other poor elderly people are there out there in this situation, with no one to help them. Such a crying shame, what has happened to our country??

 

[Suzanne rose]

put your name down for gov.housing! it may take awhile but once you're in you're set for life! just make sure you do the right thing

Sadly I know people who have been on the waiting list for 10 years or more. My daughter who has 3 kids has been on it for 8 years , my sister who is a drug addict got one within 6 weeks .

 

[mylittletibbies]

Sadly I know people who have been on the waiting list for 10 years or more. My daughter who has 3 kids has been on it for 8 years , my sister who is a drug addict got one within 6 weeks .

System works well, doesn't it???
Somebody commented before about tenants looking after your property because the bonds are so high and they want to get it back.
That may be so, but these ferals get their bond from state housing, so they don't care because they'll be given another one, along with the next place they are going to trash.
If you want to get a state house quickly better to be a no-hoper feral, you'll go to the top of the list a lot quicker.

 

[Rob44]

Some people would treat their own homes the same way not all renters leave a mess not when the bond keeps getting larger with every rent increase. If you own a rental then it is worth getting Landlords insurance to take care of your investment even before you insure your own home.

I have some experience of dealing with insurance companies in regard to both home insurance and also landlord insurance.

After a couple of ferals had broken into my former home, now just become a rental place as I had moved elsewhere, and done some trashing for the fun of it including trying to and failing to set fire to it, it took two months to get a reply from the insurance company ( it kept saying it was busy because of a natural disaster here and there) after the assessor had allegedly sent in her report and the police had sent in their report. I was told by the insurance company that the damage was fair wear and tear by me as former resident owner; however, as I had just finished spending a considerable sum of money doing the place up for rent, and the damage and 2 months wait for the insurance company to sensibly answer my telephone calls had cost 2 months rent, I put the company right in no short order by telephone. Next day I was told by the person answering my telephone call that they considered that I had done the damage myself, deliberately, so as to get the insurance. After my being less than polite to the person on the phone she agreed that the company should re-assess its opinion of my character. Next day I phoned the company again and was told that they would meet the cost of repairs to the assessor's report and that I could choose the tradies to do the job. The company did not consider making good the loss of rent through their dilatory approach to answering my questions, nor the additional loss of rent whilst getting the ferals' vandalism fixed . The day after that I cancelled that company's policy; one also gets feral behaviour from even established reputable insurance companies. Some are honest; others are not. Just like anyone in any form of commerce.

Landlord Insurance is essential, even if only to get some money back when the tenant, to whose sob stories you have taken to heart and tried to help by deferring rent payments until he has some money next week, fails to keep up with the rent and does a runner leaving behind a debt of several thousand dollars. There are good and bad tenants, but being kind never seems to enable an evenly-balanced commercial relationship, which is what a rental property is all about.

 

[Rob44]

It's going to get worst the Government is bringing in 750,000 migrants over the next year with 350,000 expected this July , WHY??

AUSSIES NEED JOBS AND ACCOMMODATION . They need to fix the problems of current Australians before bring in others .

I wonder what s going to happen to those whose mortgage repayments were deferred or otherwise reduced whilst coping with the Covid-19 pandemic (now alive and well but forgotten in Australia)? How many billions in deferred interest payments are going to be demanded when the banks decide to be their normal greedy selves? How many families are going to have to sell and move down-market? When are these deferred payments going to be called in this year? And on top of 350 000 immigrants arriving in Australia this year; that will make for an interesting competition for a family home.

 

[Pat T]

I have some experience of dealing with insurance companies in regard to both home insurance and also landlord insurance.

After a couple of ferals had broken into my former home, now just become a rental place as I had moved elsewhere, and done some trashing for the fun of it including trying to and failing to set fire to it, it took two months to get a reply from the insurance company ( it kept saying it was busy because of a natural disaster here and there) after the assessor had allegedly sent in her report and the police had sent in their report. I was told by the insurance company that the damage was fair wear and tear by me as former resident owner; however, as I had just finished spending a considerable sum of money doing the place up for rent, and the damage and 2 months wait for the insurance company to sensibly answer my telephone calls had cost 2 months rent, I put the company right in no short order by telephone. Next day I was told by the person answering my telephone call that they considered that I had done the damage myself, deliberately, so as to get the insurance. After my being less than polite to the person on the phone she agreed that the company should re-assess its opinion of my character. Next day I phoned the company again and was told that they would meet the cost of repairs to the assessor's report and that I could choose the tradies to do the job. The company did not consider making good the loss of rent through their dilatory approach to answering my questions, nor the additional loss of rent whilst getting the ferals' vandalism fixed . The day after that I cancelled that company's policy; one also gets feral behaviour from even established reputable insurance companies. Some are honest; others are not. Just like anyone in any form of commerce.

Landlord Insurance is essential, even if only to get some money back when the tenant, to whose sob stories you have taken to heart and tried to help by deferring rent payments until he has some money next week, fails to keep up with the rent and does a runner leaving behind a debt of several thousand dollars. There are good and bad tenants, but being kind never seems to enable an evenly-balanced commercial relationship, which is what a rental property is all about.

Always remember, there are no friends in business.