The most dirt cheap properties and rentals in all of Tasmania
From one-bedroom iron shacks to ‘repulsive’ rusty dorms with shared bathrooms, the Mercury has tracked down the cheapest properties out there. FULL LIST >>
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Tasmania is in the throes of a housing crisis, with house prices shooting up a breathtaking 28 per cent in 2021.
According to the latest CoreLogic data, the median price of a Hobart house is $694,261 and your average rental property in Hobart will set you back $521 per week.
An SGS Economics & Planning report found that in 2021 Hobart was the least affordable city for renters, although Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra are more expensive for buyers.
The Mercury has compiled a list of the very cheapest properties around Tasmania that we could find, both for buyers and renters.
28 Primrose Street, Rosebery
Tasmania’s number one cheapest property on realestate.com.au as of February 15 was 28 Primrose Street, Rosebery, which is asking for $80,000.
The house sits on the west coast of Tasmania in a town with a population of roughly 700 people.
The pictures show bare wires dangling from the walls and ceilings, as well as insulation material coming out of what appears to be a metal grate in the wall.
The real estate agent recommends the future owner should be prepared to “roll the sleeves up and bring your tools but don’t miss out.”
15 Karlson Street, Rosebery
Rosebery is also the home to the cheapest rental in Tasmania, charging a measly $120 per week for a room.
The property is a corrugated iron shack that has been converted into a series of one-bedroom units with shared bathroom facilities.
The entire establishment was sold for $63,800 in 2018, and its web page listing had the inspiring catchtag: “Look to the future, not the past.”
The real estate agent insists the property is capable of fitting 17 singles, 10 doubles, and 1 king room - approximately 39 people.
21 Westwood Street, Zeehan
The second cheapest house in all of Tasmania can be found at 21 Westwood Street in the town of Zeehan, population about 700.
They are asking for offers over $95,000.
The pictures show a corrugated iron house with a door that is developing red patches due to what appears to be rust.
The backyard shows photos of a lone Hills hoist standing in a field of dry, yellow grass, with a rusty iron fence in the background.
The inside shows walls with peeling red paint and what appears to be mould growing from the underside.
“Opportunity knocks”, the web page listing declares.
“A bit of TLC and you will have yourself a great little home or rental investment.”
Room 4/1 Barrack Street, Hobart
Room 4/1 Barrack Street is the cheapest rental in Hobart at $200 per week.
The page listing specifies “NO PETS” and “NO PARKING” in all-caps, and says it would be suitable for a professional or a university student.
The page also says you can fit another person in the room as a roommate, but you’d have to pay another $50 per week on top.
They charge an additional $116.50 cleaning fee upon moving in.
The house boasts a shared bathroom, shared kitchen, and shared laundry.
The other three rooms range in price from $230 to $250 per week.
203/57 Cadbury Road, Claremont
The cheapest house in Hobart is a one-bedroom retirement studio in Claremont that is asking for a mere $165,000.
Judging from the pictures, the studio is a decently clean, modern looking unit that has all the basic bells and whistles: shower, kitchenette, heating, etc.
The unit is within the Aveo Derwent Water retirement village, which boasts views of the Derwent River and Mount Wellington.
163A Wellington Street, Launceston
163A Wellington Street was the cheapest rental in all of Launceston on realestate.com.au at time of writing, and it charges $280 per week.
The web listing describes it as the “perfect inner city unit” and warns that “opportunities like this don’t come up every day”.
9b Aileen Crescent, Burnie
The cheapest rental in Burnie can be found at 9b Aileen Crescent for $250 per week.
The real estate agent describes it as a “beautiful” apartment that “ticks all the boxes”, including open plan living, gardens, access to a tennis court, and off-street parking.
Housing activist Sarah Charlotte was visibly repulsed when shown photos of Tasmania’s cheapest rentals, as compiled by The Mercury.
Ms Charlotte is a founding member of the Housing Alliance, which purports to represent the victims of Tasmania’s housing crisis.
She said it was outrageous that Tasmanians were paying hundreds of dollars per week to live in such squalor.
“One of them was basically a tin shed, and for that much money it’s pretty ridiculous,” she said.
“This situation has not gotten any better. The government has made countless promises to improve, but have done pretty much nothing.”
Ms Charlotte works at a bakery and dreams of saving up for a car and a house, but can’t imagine ever doing so with the current cost of rent.
Matthew Haubrick was among the Housing Alliance activists who met on Tuesday to discuss what needs to change about Tasmania’s “broken” system.
“We’re trying to start a mass movement of renters, homeowners, the homeless to join forces to advocate housing as a human right instead of a commodity for the profit of a few,” he said.
“We also want people to provide help for each other while they’re struggling, whether it’s with an eviction or whether they’re struggling to find a place.”
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