A unhappy tenant snapped a snapshot of people swarming out of the door of an open house in one of Sydney’s trendiest areas, revealing once again the severity of Australia’s rental issue.
This week, a photograph was shot at a house for rent in the coastal area of Bondi, displaying a line of people stretching out the door and up the stairs.
The photographer Edward Dostine vented on the Facebook group Bondi Local Loop about his unsuccessful month of apartment hunting.
Is anyone else having trouble finding a rental? Mr. Dostine authored.
“I’ve been hunting with a friend for over a month, and every open house has more than ten people, with winning bids over $100 above the asking price. Never seen it so awful before.
This photograph of a Bondi open inspection encapsulates Sydney’s catastrophic rental dilemma, where desperate renters are ready to pay significantly more than the asking price.
His message inspired others in the same predicament in the eastern suburbs to share similar horror experiences.
“Applied for perhaps a hundred apartments, and just one was approved,” one woman wrote.
Another said, “Same issue.” More than fifteen inspections, the majority of which were significantly more attractive on photographs than in reality. In addition, the price is extremely outrageous.
“We’ve been searching for something for two months and have never saw so many people on inspections. We have already submitted four applications, and they have all been denied.’
One woman gave the recommendation to move further away.
She remarked, “We looked for four months; the rental market is the worst I’ve ever seen.”
“Sorry you’re having such a difficult time finding a place, but we moved a bit further out and found an amazing place at a reasonable price.”
Another ‘helpful’ local suggested posting’sexy’ images to increase his chances of success.
Sydneysiders shared their own horror experiences and tips for obtaining a rental (comments in a community Facebook group pictured)
In August, Sydney’s housing vacancy rate plummeted to a 10-year low of 1.3%, virtually half the rate of a year earlier.
It comes two weeks after a modest apartment renting for $380 per week in the same suburb drew more than 100 potential tenants.
Those who came compared the open inspection to waiting in line to enter a nightclub.
According to Shelter NSW, the application process for rental houses in Australia has become “like The Hunger Games.”
As a result of record-low rental vacancy rates, skyrocketing rents and painful lines have substantially diminished renters’ prospects.
Nationally, only 0.9% of homes are vacant, the lowest rate in more than 16 years.
In Sydney, the vacancy rate is at a record low of 1.3%, which is nearly half of the 2.4% rate in July of last year during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Sydneysiders advised prospective tenants to seek housing further from the central business district. Balmain, an inner-city suburb, is depicted.