Only one rental market in Queensland is classed as healthy, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland's September quarter vacancy report. The Bay Islands, near Redland, recorded a vacancy rate of 3.5 per cent. Forty-eight of the 50 regions tracked remain tight, with vacancy rates of 2.5 per cent or below. Thirty-four regions recorded rates of 1 per cent or less. Antonia Mercorella, the institute's chief executive, said the shortage was changing how Queenslanders live, with more multigenerational households forming and more friends sharing homes to split costs.
Housing advocates want annual rent increases capped across Western Australia. The Make Renting Fair Alliance released a report arguing Perth tenants could save almost $33,000 over five years under a 2 per cent cap. A Broome financial counsellor said her rent rose from $480 to $740 a week since 2021, before her lease ended and the only suitable unit was offered at $1,000 a week. The state government has ruled out rent caps, citing concerns they could reduce investment and supply. It plans to introduce further rental reforms to parliament this year.
The Northern Territory CLP Government is introducing a Three Strikes system for public housing tenants who behave anti-socially. Minor breaches receive one strike, moderate breaches two, and significant breaches three. Serious anti-social behaviour can trigger immediate termination action. Once tenants exceed three strikes, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development may seek termination through the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Tenants will be told of allegations and can respond before any decision. Victims of domestic and family violence will not be penalised for resulting behaviour or property damage.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Hay Shire Council plans to transfer the Myers Lane Units to Argyle Housing. According to the council, current and future tenants will gain access to 24-hour support. Repairs will be carried out within strict timelines by local contractors. Tenants will also receive the full range of benefits offered under the Argyle Housing program, and existing arrangements will not be disadvantaged.
Public tenants Gail and Laura Innes face eviction from their Albert Park home, which is leased privately by the Victorian government. A tribunal ruled an earlier eviction notice invalid in August, but a new notice takes effect on 25 November, three days before the state election. Homes Victoria says suitable alternative housing remains limited. The Innes family says they feel anxious and insecure while they wait for a permanent home. Homes Victoria says headleasing supplements its housing stock.
Queensland property owner Shuying Ding says she found multiple holes punched through the walls of her house in Canina, near Gympie, after evicting a family over repeated rent arrears. She posted photos of the damage on Facebook, along with claims that the adults in the household were responsible. Ding said the matter went before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where she relied on text messages to support her case. Many people who commented on the post said serious rental damage is not always caused by children.
New Victorian laws now require landlords to notify renters and provide evidence before claiming money from a bond. Rental providers and agents are also barred from charging application fees, regardless of how many properties a person applies for. Gas and electrical safety checks are now required every two years for all rental properties. Minister for Renters Tim Richardson said the changes aim to strengthen protections for tenants. Further energy efficiency standards are due next year.
Victoria's Greens have called for landlords to need a licence to rent out homes, with a three-strike system leading to bans. The party says the policy would tackle dodgy landlords and make rentals more affordable. The same day, new state rental reforms took effect, including a requirement for landlords to warn renters before claiming on bonds. Industry groups warned the Greens' proposal could drive investors out of Victoria and reduce rental supply.
Online rent platforms are charging tenants new fees or paid memberships to cover card processing costs since the Reserve Bank's surcharge ban took effect on 1 October. OurProperty stopped accepting direct card payments across Australia and now routes them through Pay4it, which charges its own 1.95% service fee. In Victoria, OurProperty will introduce memberships on Tuesday that waive the fee for tenants who pay for a platinum membership. Tenants who challenged fees in a Melbourne build-to-rent property had a charge removed. NSW Fair Trading urged renters concerned about memberships to get in touch.
A High Court appeal has been heard in Canberra on October 7 in the final stage of a three-year legal fight against the Victorian Government's plan to demolish 44 public housing towers. The challenge, brought by Inner Melbourne Community Legal on behalf of residents of the first three towers, argues residents should have been given procedural fairness before the demolition plans were announced in 2023. The Court of Appeal has ordered that tenants of the three towers cannot be evicted while the appeal is pursued. Most former residents have been relocated. The outcome could take several months.
Sydney tenants Jess and Dylan were denied permission to mount a TV on their rental apartment wall. They instead used a portable projector and other removable modifications to personalise their home. New data shows one in three Australian renters lost part of their bond last year, with 13 per cent of NSW renters losing their entire bond, averaging $2,311 in losses. NSW laws require written landlord consent for property changes, with major modifications still subject to refusal.
Australia's rental market is slowing despite record-high rents, with capital city house rents unchanged at $700 a week over the September quarter. Unit rents rose by 1.5 per cent, but experts say tenants are reaching their financial limit. Rents fell in Sydney and Canberra, while Darwin and Hobart saw increases. Renters are compromising on location or living arrangements to cope with high costs.
Hay Shire Council has voted to sell six units in Myers Lane, Hay, to Argyle Housing. Current and future tenants will gain access to 24-hour support, strict repair timelines, and full program benefits. The rental charges will remain capped under social housing policy, with tenants eligible for Commonwealth Rent Assistance. Council says the move allows it to focus on core operations while expanding local housing capacity.
