Rental crisis: The crazy prices for a single room in QLD

Single rooms in share houses in some of Queensland’s hottest locations are being listed for rent for the price of an entire house just three years ago. USE THE INTERACTIVE

Single rooms in some of Queensland’s hottest locations are being listed for rent for the price of an entire house just three years ago.

In what is another sad indictment of Queensland’s ongoing rental crisis, countless listings for single rooms in share houses are being listed for north of $300 across various social media and rental websites.

At those prices, tenants could secure a whole house or unit in over 300 Queensland suburbs just three years ago, according to PropTrack data.

In Brisbane, a “micro apartment” is listed for $300 a week at Stafford, while a private room in an up-market West End apartment complex is listed for an eye-watering $600 a week.

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Stafford - Rent: $300 a week, bills included; Features: Self-contained “micro apartment” with a bed, living area, desk, bathroom and kitchenette. Cats or ‘pocket pets’ considered on application.

At Greenslopes, a bedroom will set you back $340 a week, with bills included, but access to the garage coming at an extra cost.

The number of people searching for a single room has soared in Brisbane. Picture: Brendan Radke

On the Gold Coast, a private room in a beachfront apartment will cost a single $410 a week, or $450 for a couple.

Up north, a private room at Burdell in Townsville is listed for $310 a week, with some bills included, while at Kewarra Beach in Cairns, a private ensuited bedroom is listed for $320 a week.

Townsville - Rent: $310 a week, some bills included; Features: Other tenant works away and is home every second weekend. Private room with own bathroom..

A private bedroom with its own bathroom in East Toowoomba is listed for $360 a week, with bills not included.

PropTrack data shows that there were 21 suburbs in Greater Brisbane where the median house rent was $300 or less just three years ago, while there were 46 unit suburbs.

In regional Queensland, there were 106 house suburbs and 151 unit suburbs where rents were less than $300 a week.

It comes as desperate renters, from young families to flood victims and domestic violence survivors, turn to social media to try and put a roof over their heads.

Greenslopes - Rent: $340 a week, bills included; Features: Master bedroom in a three bedroom Queenslander. Room has a TV, walk-in robe and ensuite. Access to the garage will cost extra.

Flatmates.com.au community manager Claudia Conley said demand for rooms in share houses had soared in Queensland, up from 2.3 people per room in April 2020 to 7.7 now.

“Along with this lack of supply, we’re seeing a large increase in weekly rental prices for rooms in share houses,” she said.

Even a single room is hot property on the Gold Coast. Picture: Brendan Radke

Rents have soared across many Queensland suburbs since the start of the pandemic property boom in 2020, with demand outstripping supply and vacancy rates plunging to record lows.

The vacancy rate in Brisbane was just 1.1 per cent in the March quarter.

It was even lower in the Greater Brisbane area (0.7%) and Moreton Bay region (0.5%), and is just 0.4 per cent on the Gold Coast and 0.5 per cent on the Sunshine Coast.

West End - Rent: $600 a week, bills includedFeatures: Private room in a two-bedroom apartment. Room included queen bed and wardrobe. Shared amenities. Must like cats.

There is next to nothing available in the Southern Downs or on the Tablelands, where the vacancy rate is just 0.1 per cent, while it is 0.2 per cent in Goondiwindi, Gympie and South Burnett.

It was marginally better in Bundaberg (0.4%), Mackay (0.6%), Rockhampton (0.4%), Toowoomba (0.3%), Cairns (0.5%) and Townsville (0.6%).

Wandoan, in the Western Downs region, has seen its median house rent soar by 107 per cent since the start of the great pandemic migration to Queensland.

It was followed by median house rent hikes in Doonan (+77%), Barney Point (+71%), Mermaid Beach (+70%) and Cannon Valley (+67%).

Surfers Paradise - Rent: $450 a week, bills included; Features: Main bedroom with ensuite in a three bedroom beachfront apartment. One person will pay $410 a week, a couple $450.

In Greater Brisbane, Samford Valley had the biggest increase, up 53 per cent to $1100 a week.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Antonia Mercorella said that finding a rental was tough, describing some of the prices being sought for private rooms as “extraordinary”.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Antonia Mercorella. Image supplied by the REIQ.

She also warned that the next quarterly vacancy rates “might be worse still”, taking into account the properties taken out of the market due to flood damage.

“The government has talked about building more social housing, but we know the challenges currently being felt in the building sector,” she said.

“But the silver lining may be that more people, especially older Queenslanders living in large homes, may start to list rooms in their owns homes, which in turn provides companionship, income and a roof over someone’s head.

“It would also be good to see incentives to encourage people with holiday homes sitting vacant to list on the longer term rental market.”

Coolum Beach - Rent: $350 a week, bills not included; Features: Private room with a shared bathroom in a three-bedroom apartment with beach views.

Desperate renters have turned to social media for help, much like buyers did when the property boom was at its peak.

A family consisting of three generations offered to pay up to $750 a week for a house between Brisbane and Ipswich after losing their previous home during the floods.

A single mum with two children posted a plea after fleeing a domestic violence situation, adding there was little space at her current accommodation.

Other have sought “urgent” housing after their rental was sold from under them.

Kewarra Beach - Rent: $320 a week, bills included; Features: Private room with ensuite. Shared amenities in the complex. King bed. Studio apartment set up.

Tenants Queensland CEO Penny Carr said one of the biggest concerns at the moment was rising rents, and tenants being asked to leave without grounds.

“Some are seeing the same property relisted for substantially more rent,” Ms Carr said.

“Others are being asked to pay more, and feel they have no choice.”

Ms Carr said the next round of tenancy law reforms should consider greater controls around rent increases.

“If it goes up by more than 20 per cent above CPI, the landlord or the agent should provide proof of improvements to the property, to prove it is not just opportunistic,” she said.

“There are people living in cars, tents, caravans in yards, because the market is so tight and rents are soaring.”

Originally published as Rental crisis: The crazy prices for a single room in QLD