- In short: Although there are more rentals on the market in Hobart, people still cannot afford them, experts say
- What's next? Experts say the rental crisis will continue until rentals joining the market include affordable housing for lower-income residents
When Amy Booth decided to move to Tasmania from regional Victoria two years ago, finding a property in Hobart was the goal.
It was quickly apparent that was not going to happen.
"I can't afford to live in Hobart," Ms Booth said, "but my life revolves around [the city] predominantly."
She ended up finding a rental near Dunalley, about an hour out of the city, and making the regular commute.
However, with high petrol prices, over time, the financial benefits grew less and less.
"I actually made the decision a few months ago to purchase a car that I could sleep out of, so I could be in Hobart a lot more, because the petrol prices are too much for me to continually go back from Dunalley to Hobart," Ms Booth said.
She now splits her time between sleeping in her car in locations around Hobart and living in her rental, to be closer to the amenities of the city and her social network.
"It was the only feasible option where I'd be able to see my friends and live a happier life being around the things I love around Hobart — but, ideally, I'd have a base, a home. I'd be able to be around every night."
Hobart rentals jump 37pc in one year
A property report compiled by real estate analysts PropTrack has found that Hobart experienced a big jump in new rental listings in April, when compared to the same period last year.
Despite a fluctuation month-to-month, overall the number of new rentals online increased 37 per cent compared to this time last April.
Over the 12 months, there has been an annual increase of 15 per cent in regional Tasmania.
On the face of it, it's a big improvement.
Where has this growth come from? And could it mean the housing crisis is easing?
'It's a melting point of reasons'
There's no clear-cut answer, for where the increase has come from, says Real Estate Institute of Tasmania board director John McGregor.
"We just don't have the statistics to point to one specific reason as to what is happening," Mr McGregor said.
"It's a melting point of reasons, in many ways."
Examples of these factors, he said, could include rental agreements expiring and coming back onto the market — potentially at a higher price and so not getting filled quickly — residents leaving the city in search of cheaper rentals, or owners listing investment properties online for rent for the first time as mortgage repayments bite.
Short-stay accommodation being changed to longer-term rentals could also be playing a role, he added.
Ultimately, he said, it was difficult to know the full story.
Does it mean the rental crisis is easing?
With Tasmania's rental vacancy rate currently sitting at 1.6 per cent, the answer is a resounding "No", says Anglicare Tasmania's Mary Bennett.
The coordinator of Anglicare's social action research centre, Ms Bennett said that, while there had been some increase in the number of rental properties advertised recently, that was not translating into improvements to affordability.
"A rental vacancy rate of 1.6 per cent is still a very tight rental market," she said.
"It's a long way from where we have equilibrium and you don't have demand exceeding supply."
In April, Anglicare Tasmania released its annual Rental Affordability Snapshot, which assesses how many available rental properties, statewide, on a snapshot weekend would be affordable for someone on a low income.
It found that no private rentals were affordable for anyone on Youth Allowance or JobSeeker.
A single parent with one child receiving income support would also be entirely priced out.
Ms Bennett said that would continue to be the case until overall housing supply increased, and rentals joining the market included those at an affordable rate for low-income residents.
While she believed supply was starting to improve slightly, there was still far more that was needed before significant impacts would be seen.
"At the end of the day, we need each person to have somewhere they can live. The big picture is that supply has to match demand," she said.
"The crux of the housing crisis is: 'Can the people on low incomes who need to rent, rent something that is affordable?'. And the answer to that, clearly, is 'No'."
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