Sam* was paying $290 a week for a two bed with study in a unit in the Brisbane suburbs back in 2019. At the end of their fixed term lease at their rental, it stayed the same rate for another year. Sam paid rent on time and the inspections have been excellent in a property that severely needs renovations especially after the storms in 2022 damaged their ceiling.
Every year since 2021, when their lease is due to expire, the rent increased, gradually by about 10% a year. However last month, at the end of their fixed term, Sam found out that the rent was going up to $520 a week, from $330 per week, a hike of 63%.
Sam lives alone and had to keep focused on working so did not have the extra time needed to find a new property over the weekends and evenings in the current housing crisis. Therefore Sam had no choice but to stay and pay the extras $190 every week.
No one should have to live ‘lease by lease’ but this is happening to thousands of Queenslanders. As part of the Make Renting Fair in Queensland Alliance, we continue to advocate to remove the ‘end of a fixed term’ as a reason to end a tenancy.
*Name has been changed for privacy reasons