Just 42 days to find place to call home
STIFF competition has made it hard for tenants to find a new home quickly, with one single mother saying she bumps into the same bunch of hopefuls at every property viewing.
Magda Luna used to consider finding a new rental to be a breeze.
The casual worker and single mother has been renting for 11 years, and has spent seven of those years living in a rental in Howrah.
But Ms Luna received notice from her landlord recently to vacate within 58 days as major renovations were planned.
She said the search for a new rental had been more difficult than previous times.
“I am on the verge of being on the streets,” she said.
“I can’t find a property, I can’t get a call back.”
Ms Luna said even with good references she had faced odd situations looking for a new home, including cancelling her attendance at a viewing, only to be told the landlord had already chosen a tenant anyway.
“I had a property inspection and wanted to ask a few questions, but by 2 o’clock they didn’t come, it was cancelled and I wasn’t even notified,” she said.
Ms Luna said landlords often waited for their property to be listed for at least a week before holding an inspection, sometimes jacking up their price as more interest rolled in.
She said she was taking time off work and juggling caring for her father with the
rush to secure a new home.
“I’m trying my hardest,” she said.
“I have been looking every single day.”
The minimum notice period for a landlord to end a tenancy in Tasmania is 42 days, but Ms Luna said “these days, it’s not enough”.
“You need at least three months’ notice,” she said.
It comes after the Covid-19 moratorium, which froze evictions and rent hikes, ended this year.
According to SQM research, 35 of the 45 rentals listed in Hobart as at October 1 had been listed for fewer than 30 days.
The overwhelming majority of listings in Burnie and
Devonport had been made available within the past 30 days, representing 19 of the 22 available rentals in Burnie and 13 of the 16 in Devonport.
Real Estate Institute of Tasmania president Michael Walsh said it could prove difficult to find a rental within 42 days.
“I think a lot of it is dependent on where you’re wanting to live,” Mr Walsh said.
“I think it’s a much bigger picture than just saying it’s not enough time. I don’t know that more time is going to solve the problem.”
He said vacancy rates could vary greatly in different areas, but acknowledged it was a difficult time for many renters.
I AM ON THE VERGE OF BEING ON THE STREETS. I CAN’T FIND A PROPERTY, I CAN’T GET A CALL BACK. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING EVERY SINGLE DAY MAGDA LUNA