Tough times finding a rental home

Lately I've been having a really hard time sourcing private rentals that are affordable for single parents receiving Centrelink payments. Some of these girls are 17. I'm looking in Perth but the problem is really Australia wide. Agencies that support these young people to find private rentals are taking up to six months to source places here in the west. Forget public housing the lists are soooo long.

Any ideas out there?

What about the single bedroom unit market? I'd love to hear some suggestions from some private landlords.

 

Rooming houses? In my first year of uni in Melbourne I lived in a rooming house on Alexander Parade, opposite the Fitzroy pool. The Rooming house had two levels. I think 5 rooms per level. Each level had a kitchen and bathroom. The rooming houses association cater specifically to low income.
Is there a similar association in WA?
http://www.shelterwa.org.au/publications/resandproj/OP2005-2.pdf indiates that there are dwindling rooming houses available in WA.

 

I have someone on centrelink in my Wollongong unit (their rent is paid direct by centrelink), its a basic 2 bedroom unit for a reasonable price. Wollongong seems to have alot of rentals for < $200 p/w

 

It is pretty much guaranteed rent as tenants can arrange to have land lords paid directly.

I've met a few over 75 seniors in private rentals and some of them are paying 200 dollars a week. I think $160 is more comfortable for most for a one bedroom. If anyone is reading this and contemplating buying one bedders near transport and facilities, particularly on the ground floor they are very popular with older seniors, so shouldn't be hard to rent out.

Hi Voigster
There are lots of rooming/hostel type places but they don't work well when residents have children/ babies or social problems. Those hostels are always kept pretty full here too.

 

a quick search of rentals in WA at $200 or less on realestate.com.au revealed hundreds of places all over the place, from inner city to country, from $135 up to $200, from 1 bedroom units to small houses. I didnt actually realise there was so much cheap stuff available around the place!

 

Hi Tizzy

Have a look in The Quokka as well, a guy i know advertises his rentals there, so i presume others do as well (Haven't read it for ages)

PS: Why Private Retals ?

 

The problem is there a lot of competition per application and some people get their applications rejected repeatedly. Landlords pick the best applicants, particularly for the more competitive flats and houses that are better positioned places near transport and facilities. It looks like there are loads of rentals out there but they go fast and there aren't enough to meet the demand.

There are support services out there that help people who lack the skills to apply on their own and those agencies are finding it is taking 4-6 months to secure units for people. Landlords aren't lining up to take a chance on renting to 17 year olds on Centrelink benefits.

The simple answer to why there needs to be more inexpensive private rentals is because there aren't enough public housing properties and the wait lists are years long.