Fierce competition for Adelaide rental homes amid tight market, prompting calls for rental price caps   
March 17 2023
ABC News

Hayden Patterson says he applied for more than 400 rentals before finally landing a place in a share house in Adelaide's inner-south – then his rent increased.   

Key points:
The South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) wants the state government to introduce caps on rental price increases
Adelaide had one of the biggest annual median rental price hikes across the country last year
SACOSS also wants the government to look into energy efficiency standards and longer-term leases
He said last year, before the price rise, he was already spending 80 per cent of his income on rent.

"Whereas just five years ago when I was in social housing, it was capped at 25 per cent," he said.

"So I literally have no extra money to go and do anything else."

But Mr Patterson said he was "not even contemplating" moving, given how difficult the rental market is.

"Prior to moving into this house I was actually homeless for 14 months," he said.   

"I applied for 472 houses in my last year of being homeless."

Mr Patterson said he was initially told his lease would not be renewed this year, until a last minute change.

He said during that time, he attended 80 rental inspections and found "at least 30" people at each one.

"There's nothing more heartbreaking than seeing all that competition," he said.


There is fierce competition at rental inspections in Adelaide's suburbs.(ABC News)
Mr Patterson said being on income support, and owning pets, limited his options for rentals.

"I can't actually live by myself anymore, I have to live in a share house which, at nearly 50 years old, it's something I never thought I'd contemplate doing again," he said.

People on certain welfare payments will receive a 3.7 per cent increase next week, as part of a biannual adjustment to reflect inflation.

Nearly 24,000 homes to be built across Adelaide under land release plans
The South Australian government hopes its land release package will improve housing affordability in the state.


For Mr Patterson, the rising cost of living pressures has his income stretched thin.

"I sit there and count down to my next pay day and make things stretch as long as they go," he said.

"But just one unforeseen thing [can have an impact] — like my payment was two days late this week, which meant I then had to drag it out and not shop for another two days and basically live off air."

Mr Patterson is not alone, according to the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS).

Last year, median rents in Adelaide jumped by about 13 per cent, compared to the nation average of about a 10 per cent rise.

SACOSS chief executive Ross Womersley said median rent rises in Adelaide were "vastly bigger" than any increase in costs for landlords associated with interest rate rises.

"We think in that context there's a very good argument for the government to be thinking carefully about addressing this by introducing rent caps," he said.

South Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Ross Womersley.
Ross Womersley wants the government to introduce caps on rental price increases.(ABC News)
"We think there is no excuse for rent prices to be increasing at this rate."

He also called for the government to use their current review of the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure rental properties have "basic standards of energy efficiency".

"So people living in those properties aren't having to spend excessive amounts of their income on paying for energy costs in order to keep themselves warm or cool," he said.

He also wants the government to introduce ways to encourage longer-term rentals past 12 months, to provide more security for tenants.

"Of course you'd have to be living under a rock not to know South Australia is experiencing a rental affordability crisis," he said.

A new report by SACOSS has identified the 10 metropolitan electorates with the biggest rental affordability challenges.

Adelaide tops the list, followed by Elizabeth, Cheltenham and Hartley.


Andrea Michaels acknowledged housing was "particularly difficult at the moment".(ABC News: Che Chorley)
Eight of those top 10 are Labor-held seats, and SACOSS wants those government MPs to do more to fix the problem.

"We think that's a very good reason for all of those people to be making sure that they are championing the cause of people who are struggling with rental affordability in South Australia today," Mr Womersely said.

Labor minister Andrea Michaels, whose electorate of Enfield ranked fifth on the list, acknowledged there was a housing crisis across the country.

"It is a significant problem," she said.

"We're investing money into addressing that [housing] supply issue with public housing as well as being able to release land supply," she said.

"There's a long-term strategy to deal with it but it is particularly difficult at the moment, I acknowledge that."

Son rents on the Gold Coast, last 12 month lease for a 2BR unit was $450pw, his new lease, he's been notified, will be $600pw, 30% rise in 12 months. $31,000@year!

I wonder why the guy was removed from state housing?
Quote:

Setanta wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 6:04pm:


They NEVER remove anyone except the worst of the worst, even then it's only when they don't pay the rent for months that they actually kick you out.

At least that was the case in NSW. Not sure what SA's rules are like.

whiteknight wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 3:55pm:



theres nothing more INVIGORATING then seeing all that competition.
it forces you to improve and not be a floating turd.

this guy has

low self worth
self attack
limiting beliefs
success barriers

he oozes low vibration energy

people dont want to be around low vibration energy
as the saying goes
"cry and you cry alone"

if this guy had been in contribution
been a volunteer fire fighter
a volunteer wildlife rescuer
a member of the state emergency service
a volunteer school crossing warden

if he had done anything to get out there and be social , he would have met people who would gladly take him in .

he is living his own karma
selfish self pity leads to a downward spiral.
on this planet , that is called "reality"

Setanta wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 6:27pm:


Why make the assumption that he was removed from public housing? There are a myriad of reasons why people voluntarily leave public housing.

We are in the throes of a nation-wide housing crisis. Here in SA, the homeless rate is through the roof. People are bidding on the few rental properties that make it on to the market. Real estate agents unanimously state that they don't even read all of the applications they get; they get hundreds for every property.
People with decades worth of good references are struggling.

And it's only getting worse.

But sure, your reflex is to blame the homeless.

mothra wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 6:58pm:



what about the guy who applied for 472 rentals

Setanta wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 6:04pm:


Who said he was removed?

mothra wrote on Mar 17^th, 2023 at 6:55pm:


As you say, there is a housing crisis, why would someone give up guaranteed 25% of their income rent to go private, especially if they have pets? Here there's even more of a housing crisis here after the flood than there was before and it wasn't good then, I understand how hard it can be to get somewhere to rent. But of course the owners of properties or their managers are going to seek the best tenant they can. In fact I was homeless for 6 months after the flood, shuffled week to week in emergency accomodation and it's not the first time I've been homeless, as you know.

But sure you can see me as blaming the homeless if you like. I just know how hard it is to remove someone from state housing so there is a red flag waving in your face with that.