Aussie man faces sky-high rent for “rotten” home
As the cost-of-living and housing crisis collide, it has left many Aussie renters living in poor conditions while paying an increasing amount to do so.
For Jarod, who wished for his surname not to be used, this has meant experiencing multiple rental increases over the past couple of years, all while living in a home without heating or cooling that is “falling down”.
The 51-year-old lives in Hobart, one of the country’s least affordable cities, and has gone from paying $450 a week back in 2020 to a hefty $540 now, with another jump expected to hit in the coming months that he is estimating will be upwards of $600.
As a result of the skyrocketing rent, he has been forced to share the rental with a friend since it is “impossible” for him to live alone.
“It’s set a precedent for greedy landlords and you think you are paying a lot of rent so you would get good services but this house is rotten and it’s falling down,” he told news.com.au.
“The bathroom is falling into the floor, there is no heating and no cooling and this is a 200-year-old house that is basically in original condition.
“But that’s not uncommon. I have looked at a lot of viewings and you see a really bad kitchen with no working oven and no heating and they still want top dollar and are not willing to budge to do any renovations.”
The semi-retired antique dealer is also taking part in a project with Everyday’s Home, an affordability campaign group, by measuring the temperatures in his home.
He told the outlet that one of his rooms measured at 41C recently despite the peak of summer still to come.
Having moved to Tasmania in 2008, Jarod said he was easily able to find affordable rentals until 2016, with the recent exodus of people from Sydney and Brisbane making things even worse.
“It’s causing strain on relationships with other people, like the other person I live with and my family and I’ve had to ask my family for money over the recent period as I’m struggling financially,” he said.
“I have started to look but I don’t drive so I have had to look out in the remote areas and they are just really difficult with transport and getting around and getting to basic stuff like the shops.
“Then you’re sacrificing your lifestyle and things like the shops and day-to-day activities that you would normally do. It’s just a really anxiety-ridden process.
“I have been trying to find somewhere else but it’s really difficult as there is no stock available for the people looking as well, so you go to somewhere for example and there will be hundred people there.”
Jarod’s story comes as a new rental affordability report from SGS Economics and National Shelter found that 40 percent of low-income households are experiencing rental stress, as well as struggling to pay for food, heating, and healthcare.
In comparison, only 35 percent of low-income households were experiencing rental stress in 2008.
The housing crisis has affected renters across the country, with historic lows in affordability being recorded in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
Ellen White, the lead author of the report, said the rental crisis had spread to regional areas following the pandemic, with the recent floods also having an impact.
National Shelter CEO Emma Greenhalgh has called for rental reform to help curb the rental crisis and stop the rise in homelessness and housing stress.
“We need rental reform that includes limiting rent increases and adjustments to income support including Commonwealth Rent Assistance,” she said.
“We also need greater investment in social and affordable housing to reverse a decade-long decline.”
Images: news.com.au