Lester’s rent on his Grange apartment has increased by $200 a week in 10 years

Lester was married with a full-time job as a security guard and a mortgage 15 years ago, today he’s one rent rise away from “living in a cardboard box”.

Lester in his Grange rental. Image/Russell Millard Photography

Fifteen years ago, Lester was married, had a mortgage and a full-time job.

Today, the 60-year-old is one rent rise away from being homeless and a cancer diagnosis forced him to dip into his healthy superannuation fund.

Lester, who requested his surname not be published, pays $350 a week rent for a small apartment in Grange, which he moved into 10 years ago.

His rent has increased by $80 in the past six months and $200 since he first moved in.

He said another rent rise could leave him “living in a cardboard box”.

When Lester was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, it pushed his finances to the brink.

He was forced to quit his full-time job as a security guard to get cancer treatment and the added costs meant he had to start using his superannuation for essential items.

Lester in his Grange rental. Image/Russell Millard Photography

“I keep a car running. I keep a roof over my head, and that’s about all that I can afford to do. And even then, not quite, because I’m using up any savings and super for that,” Lester said.

“If rent continues to go up I’ll tell you where I’ll be, I’ll be living in a cardboard box on the street.

“Look, it’s hard, I have to keep track of when you turn the lights off, only use the air conditioner when you have to, that type of thing.

“You don’t go out too much, I can’t remember the last movie I went to.

“The situation is dire.”

Lester, who is now in remission, has been living off government support but said he hadn’t “had a lot of luck” securing a part-time job.

Adelaide’s December vacancy rate was only 0.8 per cent compared to a national rate of 1.6 per cent, while the average weekly rent for houses topped $664 – a 12-month hike of 4.2 per cent – and units was $516, a 12-month jump of 13.8 per cent.

South Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Ross Womersley said SA needed more public and community housing to increase supply and put downward pressure on rental prices.

“We need caps on rent increases for existing tenants so that people are not forced out of their rental homes by rising prices,” Mr Womersley said.

The state government introduced a series of rental reforms last year, including limiting the frequency of rent increases to once in a 12-month period.

However, a spokeswoman from Consumer and Business Services said there were no plans for any further reforms in the immediate future.