Rental crisis still an issue for many Tasmanians

FINALLY there are some green shoots of hope for those languishing in line looking for a rental property in Hobart.

The latest data on rental availability and affordability shows the rental market in the capital had started to ease – just a smidgen.

The report finds the total number of properties listed for rent on realestate.com.au in Hobart grew by 23.5 per cent compared to the same time last year.

That good news for availability pushed the vacancy rate from 0.7 per cent to 0.9 per cent.

That’s still a very tight market and the numbers may be just a blip in the data, but fingers crossed that it is a positive sign that things could be about to get better for those looking for a place to call home.

That said, the rental market is still causing a lot of problems right across the state.

Rental prices and demand are still high, and for businesses, especially those on the East and West Coasts, it is causing other problems.

A lack of workers. Bicheno fish and chip shop owner David Ryan opened his business less than a year ago, but has already been forced to shut his doors because of staff shortages.

He says the lack of international workers, combined with housing shortages, has led to staffing issues for many businesses in the region.

“I think the biggest problem here is that everyone that used to have houses for rent has now ‘Airbnb’d’ them,” he says. “There’s no accommodation here.”

There’s a similar problem in the West Coast town of Zeehan.

The reopening of the Avebury Nickel Mine and the demand for rentals for workers have sent rents through the roof.

Rent prices have jumped 26 per cent, with very basic rentals costing more than $300 a week.

The owners of the mine are frantically building worker accommodation – but for smaller businesses, that’s not possible.

It’s an issue plaguing the hospitality sector and shows just how needed backpackers are in the state to fill the worker void.