‘Desperate’: Single Brisbane mum rejected from more than 280 rentals

A grieving Queensland mother has been rejected from more than 280 rental properties in the wake of her partner’s sudden death.

A young single mum is desperately searching for a new home after she was rejected from more than 280 rentals in Brisbane.

Tomeeka Tomlinson, 19, was left without a home and transport last year in the wake of her partner’s tragic death in a motorcycle accident.

She was four months pregnant with his child at the time.

Ms Tomlinson told the Courier Mail she was forced to move in with her family – which did not have room for her – while she applied for rentals around Redbank Plains, Redbank, Goodna, Springfield, Brassall, Yamanto, Riverview and Augustie Heights.

“I started looking for rentals and was continuously knocked back,” she said.

“The state of our rental crisis right now is shocking.”

A rental crisis in Brisbane has forced a 19-year-old mum back into her family home following the death of her partner in a tragic accident. Picture: Julian Andrews

Ms Tomlinson and her now six-month-old son are yet to be approved for a house or a room to rent more than eight months after her search began.

“I hate to say it, but with the amount of house inspections I’ve had to drag myself and my son to, it seems the rental market at the moment is leaving struggling families with children in need of housing on the streets,” she said.

She is one of a growing number of desperate house hunters who are “really worried” about the over saturated renters’ market.

Rent is on the rise in Australia, increasing at the fastest pace in 13 years in both big cities and the country, new data from Domain revealed on Thursday.

Brisbane, Perth, Darwin and Canberra have seen a double-digit increase in weekly house rents during the past year.

Real estate agents have confirmed some open rental homes have attracted more than 50 people at a time in some Brisbane areas. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Domain chief of economics and research Dr Nicola Powell said stressed vacancy rates have resulted in fewer choices for renters as prices increase across the country.

“Renters are finding themselves in a heated market with shrinking supply,” she said.

Brisbane‘s median house rent surged to $500 a week, as Queensland saw a 14.9 per cent increase in just 12 months.

Purple Cow Real Estate Springfield Lakes director Andy Nutton said the rental crisis was a result of high migration to the state during the pandemic, a booming property market and increased building delays for new homes.

“These combined pressures on supply and demand impact rental prices,” he said.

“Sadly, the natural disasters we’ve experienced across the state have also caused challenges for the rental market.”

Floods swept through Queensland in February, causing havoc across the state and damaging thousands of homes. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Nutton urged renters to request rental references from previous property managers to support their applications.

“It would be great if we could see strong incentives for investors to enter the housing market to create more rental properties or even more support for building ‘multi-generational’ style homes,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Desperate’: Single Brisbane mum rejected from more than 280 rentals