Hobart house rentals are now the most expensive in the country outside of Sydney and the territories under the Gutwein Government's housing crisis which has gone from bad to an historic worst after eight years of housing inaction.
Shadow Housing Minister Ella Haddad said the latest CoreLogic Quarterly Rental Review reveals the average Hobart home now rents for $521 a week - an increase of almost 13 per cent over the past year alone under the Liberals.
"The Liberals created this housing crisis by failing to build and failing to look around the corner and address housing affordability over the past eight years," Ms Haddad said.
"While the latest Housing Minister Michael Ferguson attempts to play catch up, Hobart families are now paying nearly $30,000 a year in rent – $3,400 more a year than renters in Melbourne.
"This crisis continues to hurt Tasmanian families – how can Peter Gutwein expect renters to be able to save enough money for a deposit when they are spending so much of their income on rent?
"What has Peter Gutwein done to address the cost of living and how can he expect families to make ends meet when rents are rising five times faster than wages?
"The Liberals' housing crisis has killed the dream of home ownership and eroded household budgets to an unworkable level."
The CoreLogic report shows that over the past 10 years, rents for houses in Hobart have increased 55 per cent and 51 per cent for units - more than double the national increase of 27 per cent and 19 per cent.
The most affordable area for rentals is now Primrose Sands at $442, while Sandy Bay, West Hobart, Mount Nelson, North Hobart, Mount Stuart, Lenah Valley, New Town and Taroona are all over $600 a week and there are only 13 suburbs in Hobart with weekly rents below $500 a week.
"Minister Ferguson failed abysmally as Health Minister and it's clear that now as Housing Minister he is simply out of touch with the reality of the crisis."
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Housing Minister
