塔州空房多 房租10年来首次降低

Rents tumble, vacancies rise

PROPERTY agents have started to drop their rents in a bid to lure tenants after vacancy rates hit the 4 per cent mark for the first time in decades.

Some agents are reducing rents by nearly 10 per cent to counter a struggling rental market.

Latest figures show Hobart's vacancy rate in February was 3.9 per cent the highest rate in more than a decade.

Real estate agents say the higher availability of housing stock has given tenants the upper hand when looking for rental properties.

However, Australians for Affordable Housing campaign manager Sarah Toohey said yesterday rent reductions were still not enough.

REIT figures show Hobart's vacancy rate increased by 1.5 per cent in the 12 months to February 2012.

During the same period the average rent for a three-bedroom house in Hobart went from $340 to $350.

Ms Toohey said research showed many Hobart renters were struggling with rental stress.

"Rents have gone up consistently in the past five years," she said.

"Until we see increased availability reflected in rental prices we are not going to solve the housing affordability problems in Tasmania."

REIT statistics show the rent for a three-bedroom house in Hobart has increased from $160 to $350 in the past 10 years.

Paul Berry, managing director of 4 one 4 Real Estate, said in areas where there was a concentration of rental properties, prices were being lowered.

Mr Barry said two-bedroom units in areas like Brighton were being reduced from about $280 a week to about $260.

PMM Real Estate principal Nigel Heaven said the vacancy rate for his company's rental properties had gone from 0.5 per cent in February 2009 to 6.6 per cent in February this year. Mr Heaven said the problem was because of an over supply of rentals due to a lack of sales.

REIT president Adrian Kelly said yesterday a slow sales market had contributed to more properties being placed on the rental market.

However, Colony 47 chief executive Therese Taylor said rental housing stock in Hobart was still far too low.

额 为啥我家房租涨了

只听说过房租涨价,没有哪个房东会主动跌价的。有趣的是房价涨跌很利索，租金却很难往下走。

我的也涨了！