Last Thursday CHOICE, the National Association of Tenants’ Organisations (NATO) and National Shelter called for governments to prioritise rental security and quality issues, not just housing affordability. This followed the release of Unsettled, Life in Australia’s Private Rental Market, the results of a national survey by the same groups, in which widespread fear and discrimination was reported by thousands of Australians.
Key findings from Unsettled were:
- 83% of renters in Australia have no fixed-term lease or are on a lease less than 12 months long
- 62% of people say they feel like they can’t ask for changes
- 50% of renters report experiencing discrimination when applying for a rental property
- 50% of renters worried about being listed on a residential tenancy database
- 20% renters experiencing leaking, flooding and issues with mould
- 8% of renters are living in a property in need of urgent repairs
For those who rent, this was no surprise but media across the country picked up the story with coverage on
