- Majority of renters fear retaliation for requesting basic repairs.
- Housing quality is declining despite record-high rents.
- Report calls for urgent action to protect tenant rights and affordability.
Australia’s ongoing housing affordability crisis is not just about rising rents—it’s also about fear. A recent study by ACOSS, UNSW Sydney, National Shelter, and NARO reveals that 7 in 10 renters avoid requesting necessary home repairs due to fear of eviction, rent hikes, or blacklisting.
The report found that 50% of tenants live in homes requiring repairs, with many facing critical issues like mould, leaks, pests, and lack of hot water.
Renters at Risk: The Hidden Toll of Australia’s Housing Crisis
The Rights at Risk report highlights a deep imbalance of power in Australia’s rental market. Despite existing tenancy laws, weak enforcement allows landlords to act with little accountability. Renters often avoid reporting problems out of fear their tenancy may be jeopardized, revealing a system where rights are often symbolic rather than actionable.
Issues inside rental homes are not rare—they’re widespread. The report notes 31% of renters deal with infestations, 24% experience leaks, and nearly 1 in 5 live with mould. These are not minor inconveniences—they pose significant health and safety risks that disproportionately affect vulnerable groups such as the unemployed and those living with disabilities.
Adding to the crisis is the financial fragility of tenants. A mere 5% rent increase would push one-third of renters into unaffordability. With rental costs soaring and wages stagnant, many Australians are being priced out of their communities and left with no viable alternatives.
The report concludes by urging governments at all levels to take swift action: fund tenant advocacy, implement rent increase limits, and ensure genuine enforcement of rental laws. Without structural reform, Australia’s renters will continue to endure poor conditions in silence—afraid of the consequences of simply asking for a habitable home.
Australia’s housing market needs more than just policy on paper—it needs enforcement, equity, and empathy for the millions of renters living in fear.
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go and not be questioned.” – Maya Angelou
