Renters fearful of speaking up about essential repairs
A survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia has also found a third would be unable to afford a five per cent increase on what they're currently paying.
Half the respondents live in homes that need repairs and one in 10 need them carried out urgently.
Conducted by the Australian Council of Social Security, University of NSW, Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations, the study is the 26th published by the advocacy network.
It found 31 per cent of rental homes have cockroach, ant or other pest problems, almost a quarter are leaky and one in five have issues with hot water, while almost as many feature mouldy bathrooms.
Rents have, meanwhile, surged a staggering 47 per cent in the past five years amid calls for nationwide rental increase limits.
Even so, researchers found 68 per cent of tenants fear asking their landlord to repair their residence would mean upping the rent, 56 per suspect it would get them evicted and 52 per cent worry that they would be placed on a blacklist stopping them renting another property.
The findings were magnified for tenants in disadvantaged groups, especially the unemployed, poorly educated and disabled.
ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie says the study highlights the serious failings of Australia's housing market.
"It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice," she said.
"Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home."
National Association of Renters' Organisations spokesman Leo Patterson said the report validated what tenants already knew.
"Despite extensive rental laws on paper, it exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality," he said.
"Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home."
The agencies involved in the project are calling for a limit to the amount and frequency of rent increases, improved legal security via the abolition of no-grounds evictions and more funding for tenants' advice services.
Almost seven in 10 private housing tenants worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase.
A survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia has also found a third would be unable to afford a five per cent increase on what they're currently paying.
Half the respondents live in homes that need repairs and one in 10 need them carried out urgently.
Conducted by the Australian Council of Social Security, University of NSW, Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations, the study is the 26th published by the advocacy network.
It found 31 per cent of rental homes have cockroach, ant or other pest problems, almost a quarter are leaky and one in five have issues with hot water, while almost as many feature mouldy bathrooms.
Rents have, meanwhile, surged a staggering 47 per cent in the past five years amid calls for nationwide rental increase limits.
Even so, researchers found 68 per cent of tenants fear asking their landlord to repair their residence would mean upping the rent, 56 per suspect it would get them evicted and 52 per cent worry that they would be placed on a blacklist stopping them renting another property.
The findings were magnified for tenants in disadvantaged groups, especially the unemployed, poorly educated and disabled.
ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie says the study highlights the serious failings of Australia's housing market.
"It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice," she said.
"Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home."
National Association of Renters' Organisations spokesman Leo Patterson said the report validated what tenants already knew.
"Despite extensive rental laws on paper, it exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality," he said.
"Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home."
The agencies involved in the project are calling for a limit to the amount and frequency of rent increases, improved legal security via the abolition of no-grounds evictions and more funding for tenants' advice services.
Almost seven in 10 private housing tenants worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase.
A survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia has also found a third would be unable to afford a five per cent increase on what they're currently paying.
Half the respondents live in homes that need repairs and one in 10 need them carried out urgently.
Conducted by the Australian Council of Social Security, University of NSW, Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations, the study is the 26th published by the advocacy network.
It found 31 per cent of rental homes have cockroach, ant or other pest problems, almost a quarter are leaky and one in five have issues with hot water, while almost as many feature mouldy bathrooms.
Rents have, meanwhile, surged a staggering 47 per cent in the past five years amid calls for nationwide rental increase limits.
Even so, researchers found 68 per cent of tenants fear asking their landlord to repair their residence would mean upping the rent, 56 per suspect it would get them evicted and 52 per cent worry that they would be placed on a blacklist stopping them renting another property.
The findings were magnified for tenants in disadvantaged groups, especially the unemployed, poorly educated and disabled.
ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie says the study highlights the serious failings of Australia's housing market.
"It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice," she said.
"Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home."
National Association of Renters' Organisations spokesman Leo Patterson said the report validated what tenants already knew.
"Despite extensive rental laws on paper, it exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality," he said.
"Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home."
The agencies involved in the project are calling for a limit to the amount and frequency of rent increases, improved legal security via the abolition of no-grounds evictions and more funding for tenants' advice services.
Almost seven in 10 private housing tenants worry about asking for repairs in case they face a rent increase.
A survey of more than a thousand renters across Australia has also found a third would be unable to afford a five per cent increase on what they're currently paying.
Half the respondents live in homes that need repairs and one in 10 need them carried out urgently.
Conducted by the Australian Council of Social Security, University of NSW, Sydney-led Poverty and Inequality Partnership, National Shelter and the National Association of Renter Organisations, the study is the 26th published by the advocacy network.
It found 31 per cent of rental homes have cockroach, ant or other pest problems, almost a quarter are leaky and one in five have issues with hot water, while almost as many feature mouldy bathrooms.
Rents have, meanwhile, surged a staggering 47 per cent in the past five years amid calls for nationwide rental increase limits.
Even so, researchers found 68 per cent of tenants fear asking their landlord to repair their residence would mean upping the rent, 56 per suspect it would get them evicted and 52 per cent worry that they would be placed on a blacklist stopping them renting another property.
The findings were magnified for tenants in disadvantaged groups, especially the unemployed, poorly educated and disabled.
ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie says the study highlights the serious failings of Australia's housing market.
"It is completely unacceptable that people in the private rental market are nervous about asking for essential repairs because they fear a rent increase or eviction notice," she said.
"Everyone deserves to be able to live in secure homes without the constant fear of losing their home."
National Association of Renters' Organisations spokesman Leo Patterson said the report validated what tenants already knew.
"Despite extensive rental laws on paper, it exposes the stark gap between legislation and reality," he said.
"Weak oversight of rental costs, property standards and industry practices have denied renters the benefits of a safe, stable and healthy home."
The agencies involved in the project are calling for a limit to the amount and frequency of rent increases, improved legal security via the abolition of no-grounds evictions and more funding for tenants' advice services.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
If your partner insists you always do this together, you need to run
It might seem cute, intimate even, but relationship experts have warned a common 'romantic' gesture can actually be a sign you are in extreme danger. On the surface, showering as a couple is the ultimate act of intimacy, one that even comes with a slew of health benefits such as stress relief and increased bonding, with heat and physical touch known to release oxytocin, the 'feel-good' or 'love' hormone. But when showering together becomes insisted upon by one partner, shifting the basic human need into something that cannot be done without the other, it becomes a worrying act of control. Sydney-based lawyer and domestic violence advocate, Cassandra Kalpaxis, explained it is easily mistaken as a bid for closeness but can be determined as a precursor to domestic violence and abuse. 'Insisting on shared showers removes one of the few moments of privacy and bodily autonomy we have,' she told 'It creates an opportunity for surveillance, and often for sexual coercion, masked as intimacy. It's not about hygiene or connection: it's about access and control.' The owner of family and divorce lawyer firm, Kalpaxis Legal, added: 'It's a red flag because it represents something bigger: the slow erosion of space, boundaries, and consent in the relationship. Even when it's framed as 'love,' if it's non-negotiable, it's not safe.' US psychotherapist, Aishia Grevenberg, shared similar concerns while appearing on the RISK! podcast with journalist, Mel Hamlett, to discussed their advocacy after both surviving domestic abuse. 'Several women have shared their stories, explaining their partner always made them shower with them,' Ms Hamlett said. 'And I was like, 'Ha, that's what he [my ex] did'. Because at first it was cute, I was like, 'Oh, is this what couple's do', because I had never been in a relationship before. 'So I was like, 'OK, cool, we shower together', I didn't realise that was one of his ways of control.' She went on to explain that she 'always had to shower with him', adding that her former partner would also urinate on her as he stood behind her. 'There were all of these little ways that he was like, 'I hate you, I hate you',' she explained. Dr Grevenberg said the controlling tactic is commonly used by abusers to create a 'hive mind', a term that is used to describe how individuals are influenced by social groups, trends, or collective understanding of the world, sometimes leading to uncritical acceptance of information or behaviours. 'It's two heads, one mind, saying 'you have to shower with me' is him being intrusive to these very personal, private moments,' she shared. 'He's inserting himself and demanding, and you didn't have enough experience to know, 'I don't need to shower with you, I don't need to do this'. 'But he knew you didn't have the lived experience, and he exploited this, to step into your life and take over.' A video of the women discussing the little-known sign of coercive control has amassed almost 1 million views, with many expressing shock and disbelief in the comments. 'My ex did this too, he even controlled how much toothpaste I used. He washed me, washed my hair,' shared one. 'This just triggered me. My narcissistic ex would do this so that he could claim every space so that I never had anything of my own. The peeing thing too, ugh, God,' wrote someone else. As one raged: 'What the actual HELL! People do this?' Others stressed that everyone is entitled to privacy in a relationship. 'You don't even have to change in front of your partner,' said one. 'Wow I didn't know this was common in DV relationships.,' added another. While one woman argued: 'Men are so dangerous. If he does this, run.' Each week across Australia, a woman is killed in an act of domestic and family violence. The NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team found that 97 per cent of intimate partner homicides in NSW (2000–2018) were preceded by coercive and controlling behaviours, such as emotional and psychological abuse. Yet, despite growing awareness, coercive control is still widely misunderstood and frequently dismissed until it escalates into physical violence. 'One of the most dangerous things about coercive control is that it often flies under the radar – not just for the victim, but for friends, family and even professionals,' Ms Kalpaxis said. 'It doesn't always look like 'abuse' in the way people expect. The behaviours often co-occur and escalate over time. 'What might start as 'just checking in' soon becomes full surveillance, financially, emotionally and physically. 'Victims gradually lose autonomy, confidence and the ability to resist. It's rarely one dramatic incident, it's the cumulative pressure, delivered dropâ€'byâ€'drop.' Some of the most common signs, many of which are overlooked, can include isolation disguised as concern, financial 'help' that becomes dependence and threats or guilt-based manipulation. 'This can look like making you feel guilty for spending time with others, or frame your loved ones as threats to your relationship,' she said. 'Taking over all the finances, such as giving you an allowance, or preventing you from working, limiting your freedom to leave. 'They may also say things like, 'You'll never make it without me,' or use children, pets, or personal secrets as leverage.' Other alarm bells include, surveillance masked as trust, such as asking for your phone password, tracking your location, or monitoring your conversations under the guise of love or 'transparency.' Micromanagement of your choices: This can look like dictating what you wear, eat, read, or how you spend your time. Even saying things like 'That outfit is too revealing' or 'Why do you need the gym?' Ms Kalpaxis said that a partner undermining your abilities, dismissing your achievements, or making you feel like you'd be lost without them, is a sign of emotional belittling, while someone who subtly turns friends and family against you or plants seeds that you're 'unstable' or 'emotional' so if you ever speak up, you won't be believed, is attempting to control of the narrative.
News.com.au
18 hours ago
- News.com.au
Urban planning guru Sam Austin reveals hidden Aussie bushland city near Sydney
Like some Mayan mystery, a fully designed city lies hidden in the Australian bushland just two hours north of Sydney. Located in present-day North Arm Cove, just north of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley, the city includes a complex web of housing lots with plans for train and port terminals and administrative buildings. 'And even crazier, it almost became the country's capital,' urban planner Sam Austin revealed in a widely-watched social media post this week. 'From a satellite photo, you might assume it's just bushland. But hidden under the trees is a fully designed city.' The lost city, which was to be called Port Stephens City, was designed by legendary architect Walter Burley Griffin, the urban planner who designed Canberra. Mr Austin, speaking with NewsWire from Canada, said he spotted the outlines of Port Stephens City seven or eight years ago while 'playing around with Google Maps'. 'I was just playing around came across it and thought, 'wow, what is this?' he said. 'Why is there this weird subdivision patch hidden in the trees? I did some googling and discovered North Arm Cove and thought it was absolutely fascinating.' Canberra pulled investment away from Port Stephens City and it was never developed. The area, which sits within the Mid Coast Council area, is now a 'paper subdivision', meaning it has been legally divided into lots, but has never been physically developed with roads or power infrastructure. 'It's really fascinating. There are examples like this all over NSW,' Mr Austin told NewsWire. 'They are called paper subdivisions. A lot of big paper subdivisions were made 100, 150 years ago, by various surveyors, with the intention of creating new towns across the country.' Mr Griffin envisioned a 'garden city' for Port Stephens City, similar to Canberra's design, typified by expanding concentric rings of development all connected via train. 'You can see that really clearly in the Port Stephens city design,' Mr Austin said. 'It has a very central rail terminal and then you can see a concentric circle design that extends out of it.' North Arm Cove has remained dormant for decades, but there is gathering interest in developing the area in light of the country's sharpening housing crisis. But any development will likely be complex and expensive. There is no road, power or drainage infrastructure in North Arm Cove and the council has stated repeatedly it would be 'prohibitively expensive' to build there. It is not zoned for residential development, but a potential change in zoning to 'environmental living' could crack open the door to more housing. There are about 4000 lots in North Arm Cove, with about 1000 of them owned by the council. Mr Austin also expressed some caution about new development in what he called 'pristine bushland'. 'I much prefer to see urban consolidation, or development around existing settlements, particularly given there is very strong ecological value in that area,' he said. 'I do have some reservations on broad scale development in essentially pristine bushland, which is what it is.'
News.com.au
21 hours ago
- News.com.au
Frightening moment Virgin Australia flight makes ‘sudden descent'
Passengers on board a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Brisbane were terrified after a loss of cabin pressure soon after takeoff, with the aeroplane dropping from 37,000 feet to under 10,000 feet. People were flying on the VA993 from Sydney to Brisbane shortly after 8.30pm Wednesday when the plane lost cabin pressure soon after takeoff. However, about 40 minutes later, the plane dropped suddenly with oxygen masks quickly deployed. Data from FlightRadar showed the plane reached a peak of 37,000 feet about 9pm before making a dramatic drop to 8775 feet. The flight remained at this altitude for the remainder of the journey to Brisbane before making a safe landing. Footage obtained by 10News showed the oxygen masks hanging from the overhead compartments, with flight attendants working to keep people calm. One person on board said the plane made a 'sudden descent', with flight attendants working to keep passengers calm as they feared the worst. Passengers could be heard applauding the flight attendants as the flight eventually returned to normal. Speaking to Channel 10, a passenger, Haley, recalled sending a message to her husband saying the 'planes dropping'. 'Emergency landing – love you,' she wrote. A Virgin Australia spokesman confirmed the flight arrived safely in Brisbane – albeit 10 minutes behind schedule – following the 'depressurisation event'. 'The flight crew took the appropriate steps, following standard operating procedures, to descend to a lower altitude,' they told NewsWire. 'As part of that process, a PAN call was transmitted to Air Traffic Control.' PAN calls are internationally recognised calls for urgency, signalling the vessel requires help for an urgent situation. It is different to a Mayday call, which is only reserved for life-threatening emergencies. The spokesman told NewsWire no passengers or crew members were injured during the incident, and all had been approached by its guest relations team for counselling services. 'Safety remains Virgin Australia's number one priority, and we are reviewing the situation in line with our safety standards,' they said. The aircraft will also be investigated by engineers, the spokesman said.
