Tenants Union of Tasmania call for more social housing amid skyrocketing rental rises

The Tenants Union of Tasmania has called for more social housing amid a sharp increase in rental prices across the state.

Principal Solicitor Tenants Union Ben Bartl at Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

The Tenants Union of Tasmania says as rents rise more social housing is urgently needed.

Ahead of a National Cabinet meeting in Brisbane on Wednesday, union principal solicitor Ben Bartl said in the five years leading up to Covid, social housing increased by 1600 properties across Australia “at the same time as our population increased by around 2 million”.

And in Tasmania, the social housing wait list has increased by more than 2000 persons over the last decade,” he said.

“Whilst the rest of Australia has been concerned with skyrocketing rent increases over the last year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that Tasmania has had the largest rent increases of any State or Territory over the last five years.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says housing supply will be a key priority at the National Cabinet meeting.

“Our key priority for this meeting is increasing housing supply and affordability across Australia.”

One of the faces of Tasmania's homeless crisis

Mr Bartl said median rents across Tasmania rose by $150 over the last five years but incomes and government support were not keeping up.

“More and more people are struggling to make ends meet,” he said.

“Tasmania’s rental laws have fallen behind the rest of Australia with almost every State and Territory either having introduced better protections or having committed to better protections.

“We urgently need rents to be stabilised.

“Setting fair limits and providing stronger protections against excessive rent increases will help address housing insecurity and financial stress.”

Mr Bartl said allowing landlords to evict tenants for no other reason than that it is the end of their lease meant renters found it difficult to ask for repairs or challenge an excessive rent increase.

Ben Bartl principal solicitor Tenants Union of Tasmania. \ Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“We strongly believe that renters should only ever be evicted with a good reason. which will in turn provide better protection against arbitrary and unfair evictions,” he said.

“We believe that all renters should be able to live in safe, accessible and healthy homes. Introducing basic energy efficiency standards will ease cost of living pressures whilst also improving environmental standards.”

ABS figures show median Tasmanian rents have increased by 44 per cent over the last 4.5 years, the highest in the country.

In the past 10 years, the waiting list for social housing has increased by 86 per cent from 2465 applicants in 2013/14 to 4598 applicants in June 2023 with the average wait time growing from 35 weeks to 93 weeks.