Renters on the Gold Coast are facing a tight market with vacancy rates among the lowest they have been in several years.
People seeking rental homes on the coast high prices, crowded inspections and run-down properties are all too common.
Many are choosing to move in with others to reduce costs or find themselves paying more than they bargained for.
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) reports rental vacancy rates on the Gold Coast were at 2.2 per cent in December 2014. That is up from a five-year low of 1.7 per cent in June that year, but it is less than half of its highest point of 5.2 per cent in June 2011.
Meryl from Tugun has told ABC Gold Coast’s Bern Young that she and her husband shad pent hours a day looking for a new place to rent since December 2014.
“Two hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon on the internet, going to open houses,” she said.
“Both my husband and I have good jobs and we only found a place three weeks ago.”
They were forced to move when the owner decided to sell their house and wanted to find somewhere cheaper than the $640 a week they were paying.
“Well no, it didn’t happen, we were looking at $750 places in the end, hoping that our boys would come back home and help with the rent,” she said.
“It’s pretty ironic; you want your kids to go but being 50 plus you want them to come back and help with the rent.”
Meryl manages an opportunity and food relief store in Currumbin and says she has seen an increase in familes seeking help.
“Not all of them have rent assistance,” she said.
“They’re just people like myself who pay bills and rent first and just don’t have enough money left for food.”
Increased numbers of renters in the market
REIQ Gold Coast chairman John Newlands says dozens of people are regularly turning out to rental inspections across the city.
“You hear about those sorts of things in Sydney and Melbourne but not on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“It just shows you the amount of people that are in that rental market looking to secure something.”
Mr Newland says a revival in the tourism and construction industries, especially in the lead-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games, is behind the turnaround.
“Construction’s in full swing at the moment, there’s many major infrastructures and projects that are being built,” he said.
“High-rise buildings are starting to be rebuilt.”
Making your application count
With so many people competing for properties, it can be difficult to make your application stand out.
“Sometimes it will get down to the people’s background, their income, their affordability, how long they want the property for,” Mr Newlands said.
“Those sorts of matters are what a landlord might look into.”
He offers this advice to potential tenants: make sure you have all of your documents in order.
“Because if some of that’s missing and someone else has all the supporting documentation they may find it easier to go with that application,” he said.