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02-Aug-2023 | Housing & Homelessness

SYC Data Shows Intensification of Rental Crisis for Tenants

SYC has released a Data Snapshot from its RentRight SA service highlighting demand for tenancy advice, information, and advocacy. The Data Snapshot sheds light on who is seeking advice and information and the types of issues they’re facing in the current South Australian rental market.

SYC CEO, Mark Hoffman-Davis, said, "Nationally, as well as in South Australia, we’ve seen a rental market and tenants under more pressure than ever before. Tenants have found themselves in a market with record low vacancy rates, increasing rents, and increasing cost of living pressures. Our Data Snapshot, drawn from our state-wide information and advocacy service— RentRight SA—highlights tenants' experiences and quantifies the specific issues they face in the rental market. This is information that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the state."

The Data Snapshot, based on information collected from close to 5,500 tenant enquiries to RentRight SA between January and June 2023, shows that:

• RentRight SA was busier than ever from January to June 2023, with a 9% increase in demand compared with the previous 6-month period.
• Tenants seeking support and advice are getting older. We have seen a 9% increase in enquiries from tenants aged 40 to 65+ compared with the previous 6-month period.
• We have seen an increase in tenants presenting with debt-related issues over 12 months, from 4.6% in 2022 to 5.8% in 2023.
• There has been an increase in the tenants requiring financial support and referrals, from 1.3% in 2022 to 2.3% in 2023
• We have seen an increase in tenants presenting with legal concerns, from 1.8% in 2022 to 2.4% in 2023
• We have seen an increase in tenants requesting information, referral, and support with legal processes and services, from 69% in 2022 to 73.8% in 2023

SYC CEO, Mark Hoffman-Davis, said, "Our Data Snapshot shows tenants are experiencing financial and legal concerns and requiring support to remediate these issues. Anecdotally we’re hearing that tenants are fearful of their leases not being renewed, especially as it’s particularly hard to secure a subsequent rental property. So, they may choose not to ‘rock the boat’ during their tenancy, accepting rental increases and poor maintenance in exchange for a roof over their heads."

This Data Snapshot is based on administrative information that we collect during the course of our important work supporting South Australian tenants. The format of this Data Snapshot has changed compared with our inaugural Snapshot. In particular, we have been able to include comparisons with information from the previous Snapshot.