‘Must be bloody freezing’: Landlord posts ‘disgraceful’ picture of evicted tenant living in car

A Victorian landlord has generated controversy after sharing a photo of an evicted living in their car at a sports ground carpark.

A Victorian landlord has generated controversy after sharing a photo of a former tenant living in their car at a sports ground carpark.

The picture, which showed an old Nissan sedan with a tarp over the top, presumably for insulation, was met with mixed reactions on the “Landlords Victoria” Facebook page.

The landlord had described the tenant’s living situation as “karma” for the financial toll her eviction process had taken on him, claiming he dealt with years of legal battles.

He claims he was left out of pocket to the tune of “thousands of dollars”.

“Took me almost three years to get this person out of my rental,” he wrote in the post.

“It seems she had trouble finding a new place to live.

“I am thousands of dollars out of pocket in legals (sic) and lost rent not to mention the stress and frustration with VCAT ... Looking at this karma must be real.”

The landlord added that it “must be bloody freezing” and gloated that the woman was “not (in) an enviable position”.

His comments drew significant criticism from fellow Aussies, with many users condemning the homeowner for broadcasting and even taking pleasure in his former tenant’s hardship.

The post, originally in a private group, gained wider attention after being shared on the platform X by tenant rights advocate Jordie van den Berg, who uses the moniker “Purplepingers” online.

One user accused the landlord of “publicly shaming and degrading her”.

“Truly disgraceful,” another chimed in.

A Victorian landlord has generated controversy after sharing a photo of a former tenant living in their car at a sports ground carpark.

While several people were disgusted by the landlord’s lack of empathy, others defended his rights as a property owner.

“I wouldn’t want to see my tenant in that situation,” one fellow landlord said.

“But the fact is unless they pay the rent it won’t be me turning them out onto the street. The bank will take the unit and they will be the ones who turn them out onto the street.”

“I wouldn’t want to see my tenant in that situation. But the fact is unless they pay the rent on time it won’t be me turning them out onto the street,” another wrote on X.

Some social media users focused on how to assist the woman now living in her car, inquiring about her location to provide help.

Others took a more middle-of-the-road approach to the situation.

“Three years of no paid rent and they still couldn’t find another rental?” one person queried.

“Wonder if they had an outstanding rental history and thought about if not paying rent would cause issues finding another rental.

“If I stopped paying my mortgage for that long I’d be out of a home with my family, I wish I had three years of not paying before I was out on the street.”

It comes as thousands of Australians battling to keep a roof over their heads are set to miss out on immediate relief.

It’s never been harder to stay afloat.

Advocacy groups say too little is being done to provide urgent support to those being hit hard by the ongoing housing crisis.

And without swift action, many will be pushed to the brink.

Maiy Azize, spokesperson for the campaign group Everybody’s Home, said the housing crisis is so extreme that even Australians with good incomes are under mounting pressure.

“Asking rents have risen by more than 75 per cent since the start of the pandemic, according to SQM Research,” Ms Azize said.

“There are other figures, like the report from the National Supply and Affordability Council, which came out last week and put the increase since Covid at more than 30 per cent.

“Any way you slice it, I don’t know anyone who’s had a 75 per cent wage increase. I don’t know anyone who’s had a 30 per cent wage increase. People are really doing it tough. They simply can’t keep up with these rent increases.”

The latest data from research firm CoreLogic show that the median weekly rent price across all Australian dwellings has hit a new record high of $627 per week.

Across the capital cities, eye-watering costs range from $770 per week in Sydney to $547 per week in Hobart.

Someone paying more than 30 per cent of their income on rent is deemed to be in housing stress, and recent research indicates low-income Aussies are spending upwards of 50 per cent of their income on housing.