Rental homes in hot demand

MAREEBA is experiencing a shortage of rental properties with the COVID-19 crisis prompting those currently occupying properties in the Tablelands town to stay where they are.

Aurelia Rogato from Rogato Real Estate says she hasn’t seen such a severe shortage in rental stock since opening her Mareeba business almost two decades ago.

“Mareeba has almost doubled in size in those 18 years,” she said.

“We have so many new estates now – Sunbird Park has doubled, the next stage of Amaroo is ready for release – and we still have a shortage.”

Ms Rogato said many of the new arrivals looking to put down roots in the town were currently “missing out” on finding somewhere to live.

“Since COVID-19 people haven’t been moving and when a rental does come up it goes very quickly because we have up to eight applications for every property,” she said.

“Those looking to rent are a mix of people moving to the area as well as the natural movement of those who already living here looking to upsize or downsize.

“June, July and August is always busy because there are lots of professional transfers and we do get a lot from down south renting here while doing research to buy.

“Costs haven’t changed because COVID-19 restrictions mean rents can’t increase, but the market will change again when JobKeeper and the other extra payments from Centrelink finish.”

The Mareeba real estate agent says the demands of those looking to rent are also evolving during the pandemic.

“People have a heightened awareness of cleanliness now and prefer a property that has tiles throughout rather than carpet in some rooms,” she says.

“Children have more allergies, and there’s also the extra expense associated with carpets as it costs $80 or $100 per room to have the carpets cleaned.”