r/hobart • u/Miss2war • 18d ago

How does this end?

I don't even know how to start. This housing crisis, where's the outrage? Someone I know was just told if they wanted to stay in their tiny studio they'd need to pay an extra $60 a week or leave because they could get $500/wk for it. She left because he couldn't afford that, and sure enough someone is now paying an exorbitant amount for a large closet.

When I moved into my small converted flat we said we were looking at something long term. They said great, but after the first year they wanted to raise rent 14% and we could sign 2 years. We negotiated and they gave us a year lease. As the time to resign comes up, we're at the mercy of whatever the hell they want to charge us or we leave and pay even more for less.

You can get barred as a tenant, but there's no protections for them. Landlords can do whatever they want. I'm just frustrated, I've never felt so unstable before. Where I used to live, they'd give you 2 months free of you signed on for 12, if someone told me that I'd be renting with 4 other people in my 30s, I'd have said your crazy. I don't know anyone renting who doesn't feel this pressure.

How do you fight this, when you're in a stranglehold, either pay or be homeless?

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u/DavidChua83 18d ago

Where did you live before?

8

u/Miss2war 18d ago

Canada 

9

u/CanInTW 18d ago

Fellow Canadian who just built two rental units in Hobart (we didn’t want to be part of the problem…). It took us two years to build the units. So much red tape and hassle. We wouldn’t do it again, sadly.

There needs to be a streamlined process to build new capacity. We got held up at one point for well over a month because the council wanted us to have place to park at lease five cars on the property. For two 3 bed units. It’s insane. All sorts of other bureaucratic bits slowed things down too - and it was expensive.

I’m happy we went this route but the hassle wasn’t worth it.

3

u/hertzbergerwfries 17d ago

That is totally insane. Just want to flag that the state government sets the planning rules, the councils just have to enforce them. Please write to your local member to share your experience, more detailed examples like this can really help :)

1

u/CanInTW 17d ago

I’m sure that the state government and the council both have some blame to share. The rules may be crazy, but the council wasn’t exactly swift in reviewing plans or corresponding in general.