{"id":42149,"date":"2023-02-01T10:11:40","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T21:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/?p=42149"},"modified":"2023-02-01T10:11:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T21:11:40","slug":"one-of-australias-best-known-real-estate-bosses-has-divided-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertynoise.co.nz\/au\/one-of-australias-best-known-real-estate-bosses-has-divided-the-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"One of Australia\u2019s best known real estate bosses has divided the nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOTO: Leanne Pilkington, CEO and director at Laing+Simmons. API MAGAZINE<\/strong><\/p>\n

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One of Australia\u2019s best known real estate bosses has divided the nation by defending \u201cgreedy landlords\u201d as further rent increases loom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Leanne Pilkington<\/a>, CEO and director at Laing+Simmons, is calling on Australians to \u201cchange the narrative\u201d when it comes to blaming investors for the nation\u2019s housing affordability crisis.<\/p>\n

In a post\u00a0on LinkedIn, Ms Pilkington said investment property owners are entitled to a \u201cmarket return\u201d and shouldn\u2019t be criticised for how they choose to invest.<\/p>\n

\"Leanne<\/a><\/div>\n
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New president of REINSW second woman in role in 100 years<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe rental crisis<\/a> is hitting our cities, as well as our regional and coastal locations badly and impacting the people that can least afford it \u2013 but please stop blaming landlords \u2013 without them investing in private rentals the situation would be even worse than it already is,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Instead, the well-respected property commentator is calling on the federal government to do more to make social housing more affordable and available, arguing it\u2019s not the responsibility of landlords to be doing this.<\/p>\n

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Ms Pilkington’s comments about Landlords being entitled to a “market return” have divided the nation. Picture: LinkedIn<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

But not all were on-board with Ms Pilkington\u2019s comments, with some of her followers arguing investments come with \u201crisks\u201d and therefore landlords shouldn\u2019t be entitled to a return.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I make an investment in the stock market and the price or dividends drop due to a change in regulation within the market of the company I have invested in, I wear that loss,\u201d one business owner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is that for many Australians, what was once a goal to own a home is now a pipe dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

A general manager at an insurance firm also wrote that while the government is partially \u201cto blame\u201d for Australia\u2019s housing affordability crisis, landlords driving up house and rental prices are only \u201cadding to the suffering\u201d of less wealthy Australians.<\/p>\n

\u201cRenters don\u2019t want to rent, they want to live in an affordable house. They continue to rent because they need to save for a deposit on a price which is outstripping wage inflation,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a concerned NSW resident highlighted a different problem arising due to greedy property owners, noting high vacancy rates in their area was impacting supply and demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s in it for property owners to keep their properties vacant? I am in an area of Sydney where there\u2019s a rental crisis. Every weekend we see lines of 80-100 people queuing up to view soulless shoebox apartments,\u201d they commented.<\/p>\n

Have a story? Get in touch \u2013 rebecca.borg@news.com.au<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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Ms Pilkington is calling on the government to do more to make social housing more available stating it\u2019s not the responsibility of landlords to make housing more affordable. Picture: iStock<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

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Rent increases nothing new<\/b><\/p>\n

According to property market insight platform PropTrack, advertised rental prices rose by 6.7 per cent last year, up from an increase of 4.7 per cent in 2021.<\/p>\n

In the December quarter, those living in the ACT paid the highest median rent for houses, units and dwellings, followed by Sydney and Darwin.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the national median rent for a house is $500, $460 for a unit and $480 for a dwelling.<\/p>\n

Maiy Azize, national spokesperson for Everybody\u2019s Home, said rent increases aren\u2019t new, noting prices have soared every year for the last 20 years with the latest hikes \u201ccompletely unconnected\u201d to rising interest rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is that we have a system that relies on landlords being nice people \u2026 That\u2019s absolutely not how you run a system for an essential service like housing,\u201d she told news.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a system that allows legally a landlord to increase the rent by $12,000 a year, then those things are going to happen. It doesn\u2018t actually matter whether most landlords are nice \u2026 you shouldn\u2019t actually be relying on them to be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Maiy Azize, national spokesperson for Everybody\u2019s Home, said landlords need to do more to keep rental rates as low as they can. Picture: Supplied<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

Instead, Ms Azize is calling on landlords to not give into the \u201cvicious cycle\u201d of arbitrarily raising their tenant\u2019s rent and to do their part in keeping rental rates as low as they can.<\/p>\n

Ways landlords can open the door to affordable housing include \u201c(agreeing on) longer leases, more fixed periods where there aren\u2019t rent increases and no unfair rent increases\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The national median rent for a house is $500, $460 for a unit and $480 for a dwelling. Picture: NCA NewsWire \/ Christian Gilles<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

READ MORE VIA NEWS.COM.AU<\/a><\/p>\n

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