<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pdg-corporation">PDG Corporation</a> has been appointed by the Victorian Government and Development Victoria to transform a long-unused infrastructure site in Ivanhoe into a new residential precinct, delivering 275 homes alongside a 2,000 sqm public park.

The project will redevelop the former water tank site on Upper Heidelberg Road, which has been unused since 2004. The appointment follows an eight-year planning process and marks the start of detailed design, with a planning application expected to be lodged in mid-2026.

The redevelopment will introduce a new residential community in one of Melbourne’s established inner-north suburbs, with at least 10 per cent of the homes allocated as affordable housing. In addition to new housing supply, the project will expand local open space through the delivery of the public park, which will be accessible to the broader community.

PDG Managing Director and Founder Vince Giuliano said the partnership with Development Victoria presented an opportunity to deliver a housing outcome aligned with the character of the area.

“PDG is thrilled to partner with Development Victoria to bring new housing options to this popular part of Melbourne,” Giuliano said.

“This exceptional location offers a rare opportunity to create a vibrant, connected community, and we look forward to working closely with Development Victoria and other stakeholders to bring their vision to life.”

The Ivanhoe project continues PDG’s track record of delivering mixed-use and community-focused developments in Melbourne.

PDG has just sought to upscale its plans for its prime Southbank site on Queens Bridge Street. They are seeking to developer 637 apartments across a 71-storey tower.

Joel Robinson

PDG appointed to develop Ivanhoe water tank site by Development Victoria

National developer Fortis has received development approval for Crest &amp; Walker, its Newstead apartment development on Kyabra Street.

Construction by Binah is expected to commence on the 20-storey, Bureau^Proberts-designed building soon. There will be 65 two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer, starting at $1.8 million.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> marks the fourth active development to be delivered by Fortis in Brisbane, following River House, now nearing completion, a residential project in New Farm, and a mixed-use development in Hamilton. Several additional projects remain in the pipeline as the development manager continues to grow its footprint across South-East Queensland.

&nbsp;

Dan Boman, General Manager – Development, Queensland, said the continued expansion in Brisbane projects managed by Fortis reflects the company’s commitment to design-led development and thoughtful placemaking.

“We’re proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such lifestyle destination as Newstead," Bonman says.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves."

Bonman believes Crest &amp; Walker will&nbsp;attract a discerning buyer who values design, thoughtful amenity and a lifestyle that captures the best of contemporary Brisbane.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane’s most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

&nbsp;

The building’s design features a contemporary brick podium softened by vertical greenery, creating a distinctive architectural expression within the Newstead streetscape. Positioned between Gasworks and James Street, the project sits within one of Brisbane’s most coveted lifestyle precincts, surrounded by dining, retail and cultural destinations.

A communal rooftop will feature a sun lounge and pool, BBQ facilities and a sauna, all set against panoramic views across Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

Slaite Projects will handle the sales campaign, which will kick off in May.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Fortis to launch Crest & Walker, Newstead following development approval

Singaporean developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/centurion-global">Centurion</a> has unveiled plans for a major mixed-use redevelopment of the former John Martin &amp; Co warehouse building on Adelaide CBD's dress circle North Terrace.

The $300 million redevelopment will comprise three towers, rising behind and above the preserved 19th-century sandstone façade. The proposal would retain and integrate the heritage-listed structure while introducing a trio of contemporary towers that combine student accommodation, residential apartments, and commercial uses.

There will be apartments to purchase, as well as a 30-storey, purpose-built&nbsp;student accommodation tower, designed to respond to growing demand for dedicated student housing in Adelaide’s CBD.&nbsp;Ground and podium levels across the development are expected to host retail, food and beverage, and entertainment uses, helping to activate the street edge and create stronger pedestrian connections between North Terrace and the nearby Rundle Mall retail precinct.

A key element of the proposal is the preservation of the site’s historic sandstone building, constructed in 1867 and designed by prominent colonial architects Edmund Wright, Edward John Woods, and Edward Hamilton. The building originally operated as a warehouse for the well-known Adelaide department store John Martin &amp; Co before the retailer closed in 1998.

&nbsp;

The site sits opposite several of Adelaide’s most significant cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the State Library, and the university precinct. Its location places it within a corridor that connects the city’s cultural, education, and retail destinations.

It is the second redevelopment proposal on North Terrace in recent months, with Palumbo Group set to redevelop the heritage-listed former Royal Hotel which has laid vacant for over a decade.

They are planning 211 apartments across two towers, just over a kilometre from Centurion's project.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/sa/palumbo-group-to-redevelop-kent-town-pub-into-new-apartment-development">Palumbo Group to redevelop Kent Town pub into new apartment development</a>

Centurion plots $300m triple-tower redevelopment for heritage John Martin’s warehouse on Adelaide’s North Terrace

After laying vacant for over a decade, construction is set to begin on a major residential and mixed-use development at the heritage-listed former Royal Hotel in Kent Town.

The Royal Apartments development by South Australian developer Palumbo Group will deliver 211 new dwellings across two residential towers while preserving and restoring the iconic State Heritage-listed building at 2-8 North Terrace.

<img alt="Royal Hotel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d48b7805-a5b0-42b8-b6bd-64ed49dfb81d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-09%20at%209.15.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=vtrtYAaCec5nYrYiNaivmC9d9nyHAXeQ" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-2-8-north-terrace-adelaide-sa-5000">Royal Apartments</a> will consist of a 15-level Hills Tower and a 16-level City Tower on the doorstep of the Adelaide Park Lands.

The heritage Royal Hotel building, added to the State Heritage Register in 1986, will be retained and adaptively reused as part of the development.

The development will also include ground-level retail, communal open space including a swimming pool, bicycle parking, and 235 on-site car parks.

<img alt="Royal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c73b6752-a574-4e4a-927d-f36df076b61a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-09%20at%209.20.41%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=EcIGi.Z0ijVPTDkq8jSEFd2pzfw6ryRN" />

Providing housing for key workers is central to this development, with 20 percent of dwellings set aside for doctors, nurses, police officers and other essential workers at a 25 percent reduction of rental costs.

The project is being delivered by South Australian family-owned developer the Palumbo Group, who have over seen several high-quality residential and commercial developments across Adelaide.

Palumbo Group to redevelop Kent Town pub into new apartment development

Southwark Grounds will transform into a fully serviced inner-city neighbourhood, with South Australian developer&nbsp;Commercial &amp; General&nbsp;selected as the master developer to transform two-thirds of the former West End Brewery site.

The State Government will partner with South Australian developer Commercial &amp; General to deliver more than 1,000 homes alongside a supermarket, a childcare centre, an aged care facility and a vibrant hospitality and retail precinct at Adelaide’s newest suburb.

Commercial &amp; General will work with Renewal SA on adaptive reuse of the historic Walkerville Brew Tower, which will anchor the precinct’s public space with hospitality and retail uses.

The newly announced homes, services and amenities form part of the broader 1,300‑home Southwark Grounds development, expanding on five apartment and townhouse projects on the western side of the site announced last year, which will deliver approximately 300 new homes close to services and public transport.

Local development group Commercial &amp; General are known for landmark projects across Adelaide including Eighty‑Eight O’Connell in North Adelaide and WEST at West Lakes.

<img alt="Full vision for Southwark’s transformation revealed" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="94a4827e-3a6d-4228-85d4-1f209ffd0a00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Southwark-Grounds-View-2-Artist-Impression.jpg?VersionId=UGDDpeG8RqUm46gmL9p2S3EhO9qUnlwO" />

Commercial &amp; General is now finalising partnerships with a selection of architects and consultants to progress detailed plans and product designs for the precinct. Built form will be delivered by Commercial &amp; General’s integrated building division, Tandem Building, with work expected to begin in 2027.&nbsp;It should take about a decade to deliver the precinct.

Early stages are anticipated to include significant apartment complexes, public parking and the redevelopment of the Walkerville Brew Tower.

Other key elements planned for delivery within the next five years include a vertical residential aged care facility and a purpose-built childcare centre, with a supermarket and supporting retail to follow soon after.

This large section of the precinct will deliver more than 1,000 homes across approximately a dozen apartment buildings, with opportunities for increased yield to be explored through increased height allowances enabled by the recently launched Southwark Grounds Code Amendment.

Commercial &amp; General will also deliver a dedicated 80-space short stay public car park to support anticipated visitor demand, in addition to parking provided within individual apartment developments.

More than 20 per cent of homes within the development area will be allocated to affordable sale or rental, meeting Renewal SA’s increased commitment to affordable housing across the precinct.

Apartment buildings will be framed by activated public thoroughfares and a series of new reserves to be delivered by Renewal SA across 2026 and 2027.

The public realm, which will comprise a minimum of 15 per cent of the overall precinct, will be anchored by a major civic space known as ‘Brewery Green’, connecting the Walkerville Brew Tower to the river.

A detailed masterplan of the precinct alongside product typologies are set to be released later this year.

The State Government has embarked on several strategic infill developments to deliver critical housing supply to South Australia at pace. The Government purchased the Port Road site from Lion Beer Wine &amp; Spirits Pty Ltd in 2023 after the closure of the brewery two years earlier and has since fast tracked the construction of the first homes, set for occupation by the end of this year.

Full vision for Southwark’s transformation revealed

Private Renting

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EXPERT OBSERVERS
In low-rent outer suburbs, almost one in six households could not afford to keep their house cool and went without meals.<a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ashkelon-july-30a-poor-man-looks-116883439?src=pz36NnyfTHFCIB6ziBOFUg-1-1&amp;studio=1"> </a>
Private renting continues to expand at the expense of home ownership, newly released <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4130.0%7E2017-18%7EMedia%20Release%7EMore%20households%20renting%20as%20home%20ownership%20falls%20(Media%20Release)%7E10" target="_blank">ABS statistics</a> show. More than one in four Australians (27%) are now tenants of a private landlord (2017-18). Only one in five lived in private rental housing in 1997-98.
<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14036096.2018.1467964" target="_blank">Our research</a> looked at private renters in middle and inner suburbs and low-rent outer suburbs (200 private renters in each area, 600 in total) in Sydney and Melbourne. Geographical differences in income sources and deprivation rates might be expected. However, the variations in <a href="https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/Report12_07_Deprivation_and_exclusion_in_Australia.pdf" target="_blank">financial stress</a> revealed by our study were startling. In low-rent outer suburbs, much higher proportions, for example, went without meals or had to pawn or sell something to get by.
<h2>Household incomes</h2>
Not surprisingly, tenants in the inner/middle suburb areas and the (low-rent) outer areas had a very different profile of income sources, as Table 1 shows.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285969/original/file-20190729-43109-1yvajhm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285969/original/file-20190729-43109-1yvajhm.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
In areas with medium and high rents, wages or salaries were the main source of income for more than four out of five respondents (83%). In the outer suburban, low-rent areas, this was true for barely half (56%). A third relied mainly on state pensions or benefits.
In more than a quarter of tenant households (28%) in low-rent areas at least one member was an unemployed job-seeker. Only 8% of households in the medium/high-rent areas included an unemployed member.
Finally, once again indicating the typically more deprived situation of the outer suburb group, a much greater proportion of these tenants, 62%, received Commonwealth Rent Assistance compared to 21% in the other areas.
<h2>Signs of financial stress</h2>
Respondents were asked: “Over the past year, have any of the following happened to you/your household because of a shortage of money?”
We <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14036096.2018.1467964" target="_blank">found levels of financial stress</a> varied greatly between areas. Among low-rent (outer suburban) tenants almost two-thirds (63%) experienced at least one of the eight possible financial stress indicators listed in Table 2. That’s twice the proportion for the inner/middle-area cohort (32%).
Benchmarking both of these figures against the nationwide rate of 20% (based on the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/subscriber.nsf/log?openagent&amp;HECS%20additional%20tables.xls&amp;4670.0&amp;Data%20Cubes&amp;4C08051315A91B1ACA257C6F000EC23C&amp;0&amp;2012&amp;24.02.2014&amp;Latest" target="_blank">all-tenure national comparator on the incidence of financial hardship</a>) illustrates the pervasiveness of economic stress among private renters in all areas of our major capital cities. But in outer suburban low-rent areas of Sydney and Melbourne the risk of financial hardship is more than three times the national norm among tenants. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08111146.2016.1272449" target="_blank">Our earlier research</a> also noted this.
Comparing the two tenant groups revealed statistically significant differences on every financial hardship indicator – see Table 2.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285972/original/file-20190729-43114-iry4ai.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285972/original/file-20190729-43114-iry4ai.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
Strikingly, almost one in six households living in low-rent areas went without meals. A similar proportion had to pawn or sell something to get by.
One in three tenants in these areas turned to family and friends for financial help. Almost one in four (23%) sought help from a welfare or community organisation.
Exposure to multiple forms of financial stress indicators was also much greater in low-rent areas. One in five (19%) tenants here reported enduring four or more financial stress indicators versus 6% in medium/high-rent areas. For households in this position, damaging impacts on their quality of life and probably <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2017.1344202" target="_blank">physical and mental health</a> are likely.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285974/original/file-20190729-43114-1cszm0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285974/original/file-20190729-43114-1cszm0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> Author provided
<h2>A common theme to financial stress</h2>
We found that being reliant on government benefits was associated with multiple indicators of financial stress, irrespective of area. More than one in three (37%) such households experienced four or more of the financial stress indicators. Alarmingly, poverty resulted in 26% of this grouping going without meals in the last year.
Employment status was a significant factor irrespective of area. In households where a household member was either looking for work, out of the workforce or retired, 27% of these households had four or more financial stress indicators. In households where at least one person was employed full-time, only 5% had four or more stress indicators.
The ongoing trend of increasing housing cost pressures on lower-income Australians over the past decade provides the context for the high incidence of financial stress, particularly among tenants in low-rent areas of Sydney and Melbourne. <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4130.0%7E2017-18%7EMedia%20Release%7EMore%20households%20renting%20as%20home%20ownership%20falls%20(Media%20Release)%7E10" target="_blank">Latest ABS data</a> reveal that, for the least affluent fifth of households, typical spending on housing increased from 23% of income to 29% over that period. In contrast, typical spending on housing by the top fifth was unchanged at 10%.
<h2>The case for increasing benefits</h2>
Our study brings home that <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7269/" target="_blank">everyday life is an enormous battle</a> on various fronts for many benefit-reliant and other low-income tenants in Sydney and Melbourne. Even if they can find a tenancy in a low-rent area to keep housing costs down, their likelihood of after-housing poverty, including <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/energy-poverty-urgently-end-2/" target="_blank">energy poverty</a>, is high.
At the most extreme end of the scale are the one in five tenants in the outer low-rent areas (one in ten across all three areas) who experienced severe financial stress (four or more indicators of financial stress). After paying for their housing, many of them lack money for essentials.
Being located on the urban fringe, and therefore often remote from services and/or employment, compounds such hardship. Not surprisingly, the incidence of financial stress is highest among government benefit recipients. This finding highlights the urgent need to increase Commonwealth Rent Assistance to offset some of their housing costs, and also to increase key income support payments, such as <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Raise-the-Rate-Explainer-1.pdf" target="_blank">Newstart and the Disability Support Pension</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120427/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-morris-13337" target="_blank">Alan Morris</a>, Research Professor, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936" target="_blank">University of Technology Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hal-pawson-147969" target="_blank">Hal Pawson</a>, Associate Director - City Futures - Urban Policy and Strategy, City Futures Research Centre, Housing Policy and Practice, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414" target="_blank">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kath-hulse-228874" target="_blank">Kath Hulse</a>, Research Professor, Centre for Urban Transitions, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767" target="_blank">Swinburne University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/violet-xia-781289" target="_blank">Violet Xia</a>, Research Associate, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936" target="_blank">University of Technology Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/private-renters-are-doing-it-tough-in-outer-suburbs-of-sydney-and-melbourne-120427" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Private renters are doing it tough in outer suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne

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The Victorian government’s plan for major rental reforms could turn away landlords from renting, and inadvertently lead to a surge in short stays such as Airbnb in Melbourne, says a leading strata management body. 
A response from the state government on short stays following lengthy public consultation is due on December 8, and the proposed new rental laws once again highlight the need to get short stay regulation right, according to Strata Community Australia (Vic) — the peak industry body for strata management in Victoria. 
SCA general manager Rob Beck says rightly or wrongly, stronger tenant rights could see landlords review how they use their investment properties. 
“Key proposals like the removal of no pet clauses in rental agreements, a cap on maximum rental bonds and new protections to make it easier for renters to make minor modifications to the property are ones which will likely make owners think long and hard about whether they want to keep renting or not,” said Rob Beck. 
Landlord insurance will go up after the Andrews' government pet policy for tenants is introduced in Victoria next year.
Emphasizing the need to regulate short stays, Beck said it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a shift from investor owners towards short stays if the proposals announced for new rental laws are brought into effect, and that this raised “the importance of having short stay regulation in place to new levels”.
Beck says short stays present a unique challenge for strata communities to manage compared to leasing arrangements, and SCA (Vic) wanted regulations to allow strata schemes have better control over this issue. 
More than 1.6 million Victorians live in strata properties, so potentially a huge number in Melbourne could be impacted by a spike in short stays, according to Beck.
“What we want to see as part of the regulations delivered by State Government are measures like the ability for strata schemes to create rules to regulate short stays, and the ability to recover costs such as any damage or any increased proportion of strata fees. 
“These would work to make strata schemes better able to manage these stays.” 
“Provided the right regulatory framework exists, short stays have a place in Victorian strata communities, and it will be perfect timing ahead of the summer period, for the State Government to deliver laws for the busy years ahead.” 
 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Victoria's new rental reforms could trigger surge in short stays: Strata body

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GUEST OBSERVER
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-still-out-of-reach-for-many-even-as-rents-fall-in-post-boom-western-australia-76461" target="_blank">High rents</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-insecurity-of-private-renters-how-do-they-manage-it-77324" target="_blank">short-term rentals</a> are driving people to organise themselves to share rooms with strangers in order to live in the city. Room sharing outside a family environment is also occurring in some professions. This includes airline stewards and submariners, nurses on shifts, or hospitality workers in remote or seasonal locations, to name a few.
There are precedents where this arrangement is not unusual. Youth and backpacker hostels offer room sharing as a budget option.
In the cases of the workers above, however, the roomies are part of an organisation and are colleagues. This ensures some vetting has taken place and that their conduct is expected to be in keeping with their paid position and contract.
Youth hostels have management to handle complaints and to keep an eye on things. But what about when you are sharing a room and found your roomie through a website? Who is in charge? And how do you really know with whom you are sharing?
City living costs are driving people to organise themselves to share a room with strangers so they can live in their required location. It’s harder than ever to afford your own bedroom to sleep in.
Various websites list hundreds of offers to share rooms in central Sydney. Beds are available from about $150 to over $230 a week. Room sharing also happens in suburbs like Double Bay, Mossman or Marrickville.
(Picture above) “Looking for one girl to share a master room with another 3 girls.” Screenshot from Gumtree ad, August 19 2017, 11:58 , Author provided Christian Tietz, UNSW
A recent article, “How short-term rentals are making Sydney’s housing crisis worse”, calculates that about 6,000 properties are removed from the rental market and offered to higher-paying tourists through “sharing economy” sites like Airbnb. We have an indication what the potential tenants who can’t afford to rent a flat anymore are doing – they are room sharing. I estimate thousands of people are room sharing right now in the inner city.
Exceeding capacity causes many problems
Overcrowded apartments, beyond interfering with the amenity of strata owners, have a number of other implications. One is that these packed living arrangements raise basic health concerns. Historically, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/tenements">19th-century New York tenements</a> come to mind. How are facilities like bathrooms and toilets – the <a href="https://researchdirect.uws.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:20120">health hardware</a> – going to hold up when used by multiples of the occupants they were originally designed for?
In Australia today, we know relatively little about the extent of chronically overcrowded housing. But research has looked at its impact on those Indigenous householders for whom it’s a fact of daily life. In some cases, up to five people share one bedroom and up to 30 people use the services of one house.
It’s not because they like it, but because there are not enough houses that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249879335_This_Is_Not_a_Pipe_The_Treacheries_of_Indigenous_Housing">perform well</a>. Product selection is not fit for purpose and goes hand in hand with a lack of maintenance. <a href="https://www.bshf.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/housing-for-health-programme/">Award-winning research</a> shows this makes it virtually impossible for these householders to carry out basic <a href="https://www.healthabitat.com/the-healthy-living-practices">healthy living practices</a>.
Appliances, fittings and fixtures are engineered to cater to household, commercial, industrial or military performance demands. Fit-out quality selection has direct implications on product life and therefore performance. If these products fail because they are not suitable, this has impacts on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/Publications/housing-health.pdf" style="font-size: 12.16px;">health and wellbeing</a>.
The research shows that this is not the fault of the residents, Indigenous or otherwise. Now these <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/healthabitat.com/what-we-do/what-the-housing-data-reveals/why-the-houses-need-fixing">well-documented</a> issues are being reproduced in dense urban settings.
Who is going to repair the cheap and non-compliant fixtures when they fail? The poor occupants? What kind of replacements can be expected? High-quality commercial fittings to suit the 500% higher use, or cheap replacements that will predictably fail again in due time?
<h2>Can a shared room be home?</h2>
Lack of personal space and privacy are other problems. The images on the websites clearly demonstrate practical day-to-day concerns. Where do you store your things? There is no existing furniture product category that meets the requirements of sharing with strangers.
A seasonal worker in the Snowy Mountains told me the workers left damp clothing lying on the floor between their bunks. But even if you can hang your things up somewhere, how do you ensure they are still there when you come home? Internal doors generally don’t have key locks and nor do cupboards. Tenants can’t even hang a picture, so how can they secure their space?
Ikea offers furnishings for small flats and some of their products are thoughtfully designed to make small spaces more effective. But they don’t have products for these room-share settings. Renting means you are not allowed to drill holes to install shelves or even hooks.
It appears that the precarious life of the roomie, who lacks a sense of security, stability, privacy, safety and the ability to control their living space, meets the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4922.0Main%20Features22012?opendocument&amp;tabn">definition of homelessness</a>. A bed alone does not make a home. <img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/188693/width754/file-20171003-31655-1gpt5yk.JPG" alt="">
Private life in public space? Image by C. Tietz, Author provided
<hr>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-tietz-120703" style="font-size: 12.16px;">Christian Tietz</a>, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/room-sharing-is-the-new-flat-sharing-84359" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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pc-iUQkvULHPU

Room sharing is the new flat sharing

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GUEST OBSERVER
A growing proportion of Australian households depend on the private rental sector for accommodation. This growth has occurred despite substantial insecurity of tenure under the law, unlike other countries with high private rental rates, such as Germany. 
Our newly published research on the impacts of long-term or even lifelong insecurity on Australian private renters found their responses range from lack of concern to constant fear and anxiety.
So, how many people are affected? Back in the 1990s about one-fifth of us rented our homes from private landlords. Now this has swelled to more than one-quarter. 
Historically, renting was usually a transitional step in the life cycle. Most people rented for a while and eventually bought a home. 
While this housing pathway is still dominant, a growing number of Australians cannot make this transition. At least one in three private renters are long-term private renters (ten years or more). This equates to at least one in 12 households.
Australian households rent accommodation under a regulatory framework that provides little protection against landlord-instigated “forced moves” or untenable rent increases. The initial written agreement/lease rarely extends beyond a year. Once it ends, the tenancy typically shifts to a “periodic” basis, and notice to vacate can be given without reasons.
The period of notice ranges from 42 days to 26 weeks – depending on the state or territory. Thus, beyond the initial lease, all private tenants are subject under the law to ongoing insecurity.
Drawing on 60 in-depth interviews, we explored the impacts of this de jure housing insecurity on long-term private renters in different housing markets (low, medium and high rent, with 20 interviews in each) in Sydney and Melbourne. We identified three typical responses to ongoing insecurity:
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incessant anxiety and fear;
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lack of concern; and
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concern offset to an extent by economic/social capital, with renting sometimes seen as the only means of living in a desired area. 
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We discuss these responses in turn.
<h2>Incessant anxiety and fear</h2>
For one group of interviewees, the insecurity was a persistent source of stress. They were constantly anxious about the possibility of being asked to leave their homes or incurring an untenable rent increase. 
Low-income interviewees in the low-rent outer suburban areas had limited economic and sometimes social capital. A notice to vacate invariably caused great anxiety as they had minimal resources to find alternative accommodation. 
Interviewees solely reliant on government benefits for their income were especially vulnerable. Frieda, 40, a single parent with five children, described her perceptions and experiences:
"At any minute I can get the letter to say, ‘Sorry, but you’ve got to move’ … The last house before this one … was supposed to be a long-term but he decided to sell that house. And then we got [another] one … and then [the owners] wanted the house back … We got notice [to vacate] but [were] still trying to, you know, find somewhere … For a while there, I was thinking we’ll be out on the street."
Nigel, 35, lived alone in a low-rent area in outer western Sydney. He had been receiving workers’ compensation, but when interviewed relied entirely on Newstart for his income. He was confident that his landlord would not ask him to leave, but needed all his income to pay his rent. This was a source of intense insecurity and he was not coping.
"I’m getting $661 a fortnight, my rent is $660 [a fortnight], so if it wasn’t for friends, you know … Stress is gone beyond a joke … You don’t know what you’re going to do the next day."
Christine, 57, also depended on Newstart for her income. She had lost her job a couple of years earlier after falling ill. Fear and anxiety were woven into her comments:
"A renter – you’ve always got that fear that you’re not going to have a roof over your head … Yes, I’ve been here 16 years, but you never know. The house can be sold and new owners can say, ‘No, we want you to go.’ You don’t have money for a bond for another premises or, you know, Housing Department can’t help you because you’re not what they consider to be [in] an urgent, desperate situation."
<h2>Not a concern</h2>
At the opposite end of the spectrum were interviewees who had deliberately chosen long-term private renting and were unconcerned about the possibility of a landlord-instigated forced move. “Renters by choice” tended to be single people or couples without children who lived in high-rent areas. They usually had ample economic and social capital and saw the flexibility associated with renting as an advantage. 
Sarah was living in a high-rent area in inner Melbourne:
"And I do have enough money to buy quite a nice apartment, but I’d rather use the interest and the share money [dividends from shares] and stuff to travel."
Angela and her partner lived in the same area. They had no children and preferred not having a lease:
"So the insecurity doesn’t bother me … It’s more to do with my freedom within that. It means that I can just leave whenever I want if I want to."
Astrid felt totally at ease with her long-term renter status in high-rent inner Sydney. In her late 30s and single, she had a reasonable income and strong social capital. She had rented for all her adult life:
"It doesn’t bother me [being asked to vacate] … If they come and say they’re going to sell, well, there’s a reason. It was meant to be, so yeah … There’s always somewhere to stay. So it suits my lifestyle. I wouldn’t want to buy anything even if I had the money."
<h2>Moderate concern</h2>
Interviewees in high and medium-rent areas were typically in a different position to tenants in low-rent areas. Their economic capital enabled them to rent (but not buy) in an area with good public schools and amenities, and to move if need be.
However, they were reluctant long-term renters and troubled by their housing insecurity. This was especially so if they had school-going children. 
Moira (high-rent area, Sydney), married with two children and in her mid-40s, was pleased with her rental situation. She paid an unusually low rent for her three-bedroom apartment. Alongside the area’s high-quality amenities, the quality of the public schools was a major drawcard.
However, the ever-present possibility of having to vacate was a concern:
"The fact that you don’t know how long you’re going to be there for and, you know, that was a massive thing when we were choosing a school … If we have to move, are we going to be able to be within distance … to keep him there? … And it [the lack of security] is a cloud that’s there always."
The main reason Glenn and his partner rented a small semi-detached house in a high-rent area in Sydney was to ensure their son had a good schooling:
"We need to stay in the area for our son and we balanced that against sending him to a private school, so in that way it’s cheaper to live here even though the rent’s high."
<h2>A crisis of affordability and insecurity</h2>
The interviews indicated that the de jure insecurity associated with private renting in Australia doesn’t necessarily translate into de facto insecurity. 
However, for at least one in four of our interviewees, the chronic de jure insecurity associated with private renting imbued everyday life with ongoing anxiety and stress. 
The intensifying crisis of rental affordability in Australia’s major cities means these negative outcomes of long-term private renting are likely to affect growing numbers in the years ahead.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-morris-13337" target="_blank">Alan Morris</a> is research professor, University of Technology Sydney.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hal-pawson-147969" target="_blank">Hal Pawson</a> is associate director - City Futures - Urban Policy and Strategy, City Futures Research Centre, Housing Policy and Practice, UNSW.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kath-hulse-228874" rel="author">Kath Hulse</a> is research professor, Swinburne University of Technology.
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