Share houses Hobart: $500pw for single room at New Town
Hobart’s most expensive suburbs for share house living have been revealed – and the eye-watering prices some people are paying for a room.
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A single room within a Hobart share house can cost up to a budget-busting $500 per week – and a growing number of people are considering this as an option amid financial pressures.
Flatmates.com.au’s National Share Accommodation Survey found 48 per cent of respondents – room listers and renters – say the primary reason they are living in shared accommodation is because they cannot afford to live on their own.
When comparing median weekly room prices, Battery Point is currently Hobart’s most expensive suburb to live in a share house at $250 per week.
Taroona is not far behind at $240 for a room, followed by Hobart $233, Rokeby $230 and Blackmans Bay $225.
The most expensive Hobart listing on Flatmates today is a single bedroom in a new two-bedroom New Town house for $500 per week.
Or for $415 per week, a renter could choose a room in a Sandy Bay unit near Long Beach.
The most affordable rooms on the site are in Moonah and West Moonah for $120 and $123 per week.
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Flatmates survey of over 10,000 people found:
● 48 per cent of respondents said that the primary reason they are living in share accommodation is because they cannot afford to live on their own
● 23 per cent of respondents entered the share accommodation market for the first time in the past year
● 67 per cent of people listing a spare room cited interest rate rises as the reason for doing so
● 47 per cent of respondents who identified as homeowners offered their home as a share house for the first time in the past 12 months
● 37 per cent struggled to find accommodation in the past year, up from 28 per cent in 2022, and
● Flatmates members aged between 55 and 64 years old were the fastest growing demographic in the past year, recording a 21 per cent annual increase.
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Flatmates.com.au community manager Claudia Conley said people are looking for new ways to navigate the rental crisis and tackle the rising cost of living.
“Share accommodation is a long-term and legitimate way to live, and until more homes are built to keep up with the demand for rentals, we expect share accommodation to remain popular,” she said.
“It provides additional income, and helps to increase the limited supply of rooms available to rent.”
Meanwhile, research from Finder shows the average person who rents out their spare room is making $167 per week.
Finder money expert Richard Whitten said for many, living with a roommate was preferable compared to missing repayments.
However, he suggested doing due diligence before diving in, as “having a roommate isn’t for everyone”.
Separate research found almost half of 1000-plus respondents found it a struggle to pay their rent in October.
“Renting with someone else is a privacy trade-off, but will save you money on rent and utilities, too,” Mr Whitten said.
Hobart’s vacancy rate has slipped backward from a 1.9 per cent peak in June this year to 1.3 per cent in October, per SQM Research.
The asking rent for a three-bedroom Hobart house peaked in February at $546 per week, dipped back to $517 in August, and is now $542 this month.
Two-bedrooms unit rents trended lower between March ($504) and November ($463).
HOBART’S MOST EXPENSIVE SUBURBS TO RENT A ROOM
By median weekly room price
Battery Point $250
Taroona $240
Hobart $233
Rokeby $230
Blackmans Bay $225
Claremont $220
Howrah $220
Lindisfarne $220
Sandy Bay $220
West Hobart $220
Source: Flatmates
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