Gold Coast family quits city for Canada after giving up hope of finding rental

A young family has quit Queensland for Canada because they can’t find a rental, with experts warning vacancy rates have reached ‘frightening’ new lows. This is their story.

A young family has made the heartbreaking decision to quit the country because they cannot find a rental on the packed out Gold Coast.

Twenty years after first arriving in Australia as a backpacker, Dominique Tetreault flew out of Brisbane Airport for a new life in Canada on Thursday morning with her three Queensland-born children, who are aged 7, 12 and 13.

Husband and father Scott Kennedy, a born and bred Australian, will join them in Quebec later after finalising the sale of their boat.

Their desperate move came as real estate agents warned rental vacancy rates had fallen to “frightening” new lows on the Gold Coast.

Dominique Tetreault and Scott Kennedy with sons Henri, Charley and Joseph.

Ms Tetreault told the Bulletin the family’s nightmare began when they returned to the Gold Coast in October after taking time out to sail the world.

“It’s been pretty horrendous, very difficult,” she said. “I tried everything.

“After months of looking, thinking outside the box even, everything was so difficult and complicated that I was really stressed. School was starting in a few days for my children. I needed a roof for them in a safe place.

“I knew I was under too much stress and the situation needed to change drastically, because it was unbearable with the three children. You need to find a place for your family. So I spoke to my husband and we decided on Canada.”

Dominique Tetreault with sons Henri, Charley and Joseph.

The family had funded their sailing adventure by selling their canalfront Currumbin Waters home in 2019, shortly before Covid-19 emerged and the skyrocketing of house prices.

They had only intended to be away for one year, but did not return until last October, enrolling the boys in school at Elanora and hoping to settle long-term on the Gold Coast once more.

But they found the city’s property market had changed dramatically since they left.

“Our plan was to rent a place so we can sell the boat. Everything changed when we couldn’t find places anywhere,” Ms Tetreault said.

“Even if we manage to sell the boat, and let’s say we (find a rental) with some miracle, we won’t be able to settle here again because the price of the property completely went through the roof.

“Our house I think is worth double what we sold it for, so it is impossible to re-enter the market here.

“In Montreal, or in Quebec, it’s a lot cheaper. We’re giving Canada a trial.

“The rent is half the price over there, in a really nice town, with furnishings and electricity included.

“We’ll see how we go over the next six months.”

Charley, Henri, Joseph and Riley Kennedy.

Compounding the heartbreak for the family, Mr Kennedy will be leaving behind his sister, mother and 24-year-old son Riley, who all live on the Gold Coast.

Anne Crarey, executive general manager of Property Services at Little Real Estate which has an office at Mermaid Beach, said her company had encountered many “heartbreaking” stories.

Anne Crarey, Little Real Estate Executive General Manager – Property Services

“I’ve never witnessed the rental market so constricted in my 25-year career in the real estate industry,” Ms Crarey said.

“Prospective tenants face the most challenging conditions we’ve ever seen.

“ ... Two years ago you may have been able to afford Broadbeach, now you’re out in Pimpama.

“If you look at what you can get elsewhere, you could get rent at a better price in another country or another state.”

Ms Crarey said governments needed to do more to incentivise investment in rental stock.

“It’s not a great place to invest in any more, because the return just isn’t there,” she said.

“The government needs to give some more incentives to the private sector, to the mums and dads, who actually want to invest in Queensland.

“They’ve done a great job at selling it as a place to live, and obviously we’re seeing the great migration, but now we need some incentive for investors.”

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