Gympie renter Sally Seabrook left with nowhere to live after owners sell

A Gympie woman on a disability pension is desperate to find an affordable place to live after the owners of her rental decided to sell and left her with nowhere to turn.

It’s no secret that Gympie region rental market has remained extremely tight in the first half of 2021, with the squeeze being felt by many residents.

Sally Seabrook, 40, is now one of those residents after being recently notified by the new owners of the home she was renting that she needed to find somewhere else to live.

“The place I have been in for about seven years has been sold and the new owners don't want tenants in,” Ms Seabrook said.

“The process is very stressful and pretty much pointless as I’m on a disability pension and I can’t afford these current prices.

“Plus having a small dog that I need is another issue.”

Ms Seabrook said she has been desperately searching for a new rental for the last month but had no luck as the prices were much higher than she is able to pay.

“I’m worried because I know I can’t afford anything … there is another elderly lady that is in the same boat as me,” she said.

“There is a reason why they are selling which I won’t go into and they have been trying to help us find a place.

“They kept the rent low because they knew we were pensioners which doesn’t happen often today.”

Queensland’s rental market has remained extremely tight in the first half of 2021, with the squeeze being felt by many Gympie region residents.

According to the current vacancy report, released by the Real Estate Institute of Queensland, 70.2 per cent of the state’s rental vacancies remain less than 1.0 per cent, with Gympie recording 0.4 per cent vacancy.

“Record-low interest rates, government support and stimulus measures, and the pandemic-driven stampede we’ve witnessed migrating beyond our southern borders have sent Brisbane’s private rental market into uncharted territory, pushing vacancy rates down to their lowest levels since October 2012,” REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said.

Ms Seabrook said she had to be out by July 23, and would stay with a friend while she continued to search for a rental.

“My dad and another friend have offered to help pay my rent of a place that I couldn’t afford on my own but I don’t feel comfortable with that,” she said.

“However I may have to, otherwise it’s sleeping in the car.”

Ms Seabrook has put in an application in for social housing but said it could take “ages” to be approved.

“It could take months or years but what do I do in the meantime is another thing,” she said.

“Really I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

With a budget of $220 per week, Ms Seabrook said she also has to consider bills and car maintenance and would appreciate an increase in her weekly rent assistance during these unprecedented times.

“I’m on the highest rent assistance available for a single person – $140 a fortnight – this doesn’t even cover a week’s rent,” she said.

“The only thing (the government can do) since you can't make people lower rents, would be more public housing.”