New Rental Laws Are Fair. They Won't Fix the Crisis.
Australia's new rental law reforms are well-intentioned protections for renters. But they address tenant rights, not the real problem: we're not building enough homes to meet demand.
Darren Ong Property
Property markets, housing, and real estate
Darren Ong 
Betting on Dead Parents: How Australia's Inheritance Myth Betrays Young Homebuyers
Australia celebrates $5.4 trillion in inheritance headed to younger generations. But waiting for parents to die isn't a housing strategy; it's a confession of policy failure.
Riley Fitzgerald 
Most Aussie Homebuyers Don't Understand Their Mortgages
Financial experts warn Australians are taking out massive home loans without understanding how their repayments are structured and why interest dominates the early years.
Andrew Marsh The Housing Trap: How Two Hands of Government Cancel Each Other Out
The government wants to help first home buyers. The RBA is making it harder. Neither addresses why houses cost so much in the first place.
Daniel Kovac 
Backyard Housing Boom: Why Australians Are Building Small
From prefab granny flats to tiny homes, Australians are turning to compact backyard solutions as an affordable alternative to Australia's expensive housing market.
Darren Ong Australia's Property Market Splits in Two as Rental Crisis Deepens
Sydney and Melbourne auctions are cooling sharply as RBA rate hikes bite, but population pressure is pushing rents to breaking point across all cities. The supply crisis is the common thread.
Victoria Crawford 
Dodgy Rentals Spark Enforcement Push as West Footscray Listing Exposed
A West Footscray property advertised at $220 per week has sparked outrage and regulatory action, exposing failures to enforce minimum rental standards across Victoria.
Andrew Marsh 
Sydney auctions stalling as rate rises cool buyer appetite
Sydney's auction clearance rate has plummeted in March, falling from February highs as consecutive RBA rate rises cool buyer enthusiasm and force vendors to abandon the block without achieving their asking prices.
Darren Ong Australia's Rental Crisis Hits Critical Point as Vacancy Plummets to 1.1%
Australia's rental market has reached a critical juncture. Vacancy rates have fallen to 1.1%, rents are rising 6.6% annually, and renters now need incomes 51% higher than they did five years ago just to afford housing without financial stress.
Fatima Al-Rashid Young Australians Face Perfect Storm as Regional Affordability Dream Collides With Triple Crisis
Young Australians fleeing cities for regional affordability are arriving at precisely the wrong moment, as El Niño conditions, a fuel crisis, and accelerating rents converge to undermine the economic foundation of rural communities.
Grace Okonkwo Regional Promise Collapsing as Rents Chase Young Australians Back to Cities
Young Australians fleeing cities for regional affordability are finding the dream evaporating as rents surge 42 percent in five years while wages grow just 17.5 percent.
Bruce Mackinnon 
NSW moves to expose the AI deception in rental listings
NSW legislation requiring agents to disclose AI-altered rental photos takes aim at a practice that has cost prospective tenants time, money, and trust in an already stressful market.
Yuki Tamura 
The suburbs where property sellers are going backwards
Home sellers are at a two-decade high for profitability across Australia, but certain suburbs remain stubbornly unprofitable, revealing sharp regional divisions in the property market.
Sophia Vargas 
Maylands Homeowners Face Defect Nightmare as Builder Ignores Watchdog Order
Rob and Pina Martin signed a contract for their forever home in 2023, but completion is long overdue and more than 40 defects remain unresolved despite a Building and Energy remedy order.
Sophia Vargas 
Iconic Story Bridge Hotel Listed for Sale as Brisbane Hospitality Sector Booms
The landmark Story Bridge Hotel in Kangaroo Point has been listed for sale, with owners seeking considerably more than the $70 million paid five years ago. The move capitalises on Brisbane's desperate shortage of hotel stock and surging property values.
Yuki Tamura 
Parents bankroll dreams: The cost of helping young WA buyers
A study into first-home buyers in Western Australia shows parents increasingly providing substantial financial help to their children. But the arrangement carries hidden costs and unanswered questions about expectations.
Liam Gallagher-Walsh Spring Property Market Stalls as RBA Rate Hikes Bite
Australia's spring property market is cooling fast. Auction clearance rates have fallen to their lowest level since December, with the RBA's second consecutive rate hike in March squeezing buyer confidence and pushing mortgage costs higher.
Darren Ong The Landlord Exodus: Shrinking Yields and Rising Costs Push Investors Out of Rental Market
Declining rental yields, climbing holding costs, and regulatory complexity are pushing Australian landlords out of the investment property market. The exodus could deepen the rental crisis.
Kate Morrison Auction market stumbles as buyers balk at higher rates
Australian auction clearance rates have fallen to their lowest point this year, with buyers taking a more cautious approach despite rising listing volumes and government first-home buyer support.
Jake Nguyen 
Brisbane Trades Sprawl for Suburban Density Hubs
New planning research reveals Brisbane is abandoning its sprawling suburban pattern in favour of self-contained density hubs clustered around shopping centres and transport nodes.
Mitchell Tan