Renters in Sunshine Coast struggling as demand soars for properties leaving vulnerable tenants out

A Sunshine Coast property management firm says people looking for rentals in the region are getting desperate, with up to 70 people registering their interest when a new property comes onto the market.

The rental vacancy rate on the Sunshine Coast is currently 0.5 per cent, in Noosa, it’s 0.6 per cent, while Gympie is even tighter at 0.4 per cent, according to data from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.

Key points:

• The Sunshine Coast’s rental market is seeing huge demand mainly due to shortage of stock
• Property agents say tenants need to make sure they have all the required documentation
• Tenants Queensland is encouraging people to reach out for help if they are experiencing difficulty finding a new rental property

Image Property director Joel Davis said he had never experienced rental demand like it in his career.

“It’s just gone to another level, it’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” he said.

“I’m getting private messages from people that are asking to stretch a friendship in order to try to get a friend’s application processed or even looked at.”

Mr Davis, whose company manages hundreds of rental properties on the Sunshine Coast, said the problem was largely based on a shortage of stock, with less investors buying homes locally.

“I think that’s probably one of the biggest contributing factors,” he said.

“The owner-occupiers and first home buyers are taking a lot of stock which traditionally would have gone to investors from the likes of Sydney or Melbourne.”

He said the region’s location and employment opportunities were more desirable than ever.

“And therefore that traditional migration of people that you get going down to Brisbane for work is not there anymore,” Mr Davis said.

“You’re actually seeing a lot more people be able to find employment on the Sunshine Coast.”

Standing out from the crowd

Property agents are processing upwards of 20 applications per property in the region, and Mr Davis said there were a few things prospective tenants should do to stand out.

“The number one thing that people need to do is not give the agency any reason not to prioritize their application,” he said.

“We’re getting applications where there’s three people who have applied, but only two of them have provided their information.

“It’s not even being considered because there is no reason to when you’ve got applications which have been presented in full and are able to be turned around very quickly.”

Mr Davis said tenants needed to be incredibly organised before they lodged an application.

“So making sure they have supplied absolutely every single thing that there is on the application, getting a copy of the rental references etc,” he said.

“That definitely makes it easier to shortlist those applications in times like this, where you do have such heavy competition.”

“And make sure you take shoes off without having to be asked when you view a property, that’s always something people take note of.”

But he admitted even well-organised, quality applicants were missing out on properties with a pool of strong competition.

“There’s an abundance of choice for homeowners at the moment and that does make it hard for certain demographics,” he said.

“Where you’ve got people that have got a couple of dogs or a couple of pets, it’s not always his first choice to take applications with pets.

“Personally, you know, I’d probably take a dog over a two-year-old child myself, that’s not always the way that people see it.”

Tenants Queensland CEO Penny Carr says people facing homelessness should call the Homeless Hotline.(ABC News: Tim Swanston)

Where to go if things are getting desperate

Tenants Queensland chief executive Penny Carr said people shouldn’t wait until their situation had reached crisis point before seeking help.

“We’re getting reports with people saying they’re going for property, but there’s already 30 applications on it before they get to do the inspection,” she said.

“So if people are struggling to find a new property, getting good tenancy advice from us is important.

“The earlier you can do that the better the situation is likely to be.”

She said if people were facing homelessness, then they should call the Homeless Hotline, which was a free service.

Ms Carr said Tenants Queensland had seen an increase in calls for help from people who were being forced out of a rental property or they had a dispute about a rent reduction due to COVID-19

“They’re struggling to find properties, and we’re seeing that in northern suburbs of Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, and also regional towns up the coast,” she said.

“So we think it’s probably a consequence of a couple of things, one is liveability, so you’ve got people who are moving out of the city, city vacancy rates are relatively high.

“Either they don’t work in a city that has a job anymore, or they don’t have to go to work every day. So taking the cheaper option somewhere in the suburbs or other places.

“Then there are people who are deciding to make an interstate move as well.”

Ms Carr said there was no magic solution to the problem, but she was encouraging people not to give up.

“I would say to them, try to put their best foot forward. So if they’ve got a great rent record … if they’ve got some references, get them out. Keep in touch with the agent of the owner, show that you are genuinely trying,” she said.

“It’s very difficult for people. There’s no magic solution to it, because people don’t just need a property ideally, they want a property that suits their needs and their family situation.

“And it’s very difficult when you’re under this pressure, especially for kids that have school locally.”

Article Source: abc.net.au

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