Hear from some of the 1.8 million Queensland renters and their stories about what it is like to be a renter in Queensland.
Do you have a story?
Share your story with us!
“Being asked to leave threw our family into chaos. We knew the rental market was bad, but we had no idea just how bad it was.”
Pamela has been living in her rental home for almost 4 years. The property is also home to her extended family, including her daughter who is an essential worker. Pamela is also a carer for another family member who has a disability. For almost 4 years she looked after the house like it was her … Read More
Read MoreKate’s youngest child’s allergies started playing up and the family subsequently discovered mould in the carpet.
Kate* and her family were happy living in their rental home. Her kids were of school age and their home was within walking distance to the school. Having moved into an older house, the lounge room carpet was already pretty worn but still in okay condition. After a while, Kate’s youngest child’s allergies started to … Read More
Read More“We had lived in our home for nearly three years, made good friends in the community. Now we have had to leave, for no good reason.”
Janine and her family lived in their rental home for nearly 3 years. Janine said they had always paid the rent on time, taken good care of the property and the real estate agent never raised any concerns with them until the last inspection. “Then they complained about the state of the house as we … Read More
Read MoreNik doesn’t know what he would do without his four legged friends.
Queensland renter Nik*, is a tow truck driver and has been living in his Logan rental property for the last five years. Nik’s landlord gave him approval for him to keep his dogs back in 2017, and it was documented on the lease. Nik has two Maltese dogs, Monkey and Willow (pictured) and they have … Read More
Read MoreWhy we need a good reason before tenancies can be ended
My husband and I have been in our current rental property on for more than three years and always paid our rent on time. My husband was diagnosed with a serious illness a couple of months ago. With so much happening in our lives, we didn’t realise that the end our current lease was coming … Read More
Read MoreLouise is a working mother of 2 teenagers, is a survivor of domestic violence and was left homeless.
Louise Brimson is a working mother of two teenagers. Louise lives in Brisbane’s bayside, is a survivor of domestic and family violence, and has raised her two boys single-handedly for over 10 years. She has rented homes for all of her adult life. The rental home that Louise has most recently lived in had multiple … Read More
Read MoreElisha is a person with disability, and her landlord wouldn’t install hand rails in her bathroom to keep her safe from falling.
Elisha Matthews is a professional working in the disability and arts sectors, and is a wheelchair user. Elisha lives with her children and pets on Brisbane’s northside. She has rented homes for all of her adult life. At the last couple of rental homes that Elisha has lived in, she has put in requests to … Read More
Read MoreMichelle’s story
Michelle lives in South-East Queensland with her two teenage daughters, and until more recently, her ex-partner. The house they rented had termite damage, rats in the wall and rotting timber. Every request Michelle made for repairs, was ignored. “I almost fell through floorboards once, and there are support beams that are rotten,” says Michelle. “I … Read More
Read MoreWhy it’s important to end without ground evictions
At Make Renting Fair, the biggest issue we’re trying to change is getting rid of unfair evictions. These are used to target renters who have done nothing wrong and are one of the reasons renters often need to move house. We believe a home should be safe and stable and fixing this law will mean renters … Read More
Read More“If it weren’t for my dog, I wonder if I would still be here today.”
Pets have always been a huge part of my life and always will be, however, having a dog while renting has caused me plenty of heartaches. I got my dog, Kenji, right before I found out I was pregnant. I had been battling depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after fleeing a domestic … Read More
Read More“We usually don’t have problems renting with our pet birds, but we really want to own a dog…”
We have been wanting to adopt a dog into our family for about three years now, but haven’t because we know how hard it is to find pet-friendly rentals. Instead, we keep budgies as pets. Most of the time, birds are still accepted even when a property advertisement says “no pets”. Landlords tend to refuse … Read More
Read More“My landlord takes no action when I ask him to fix my home. I can’t make a formal complaint because I worry I’ll be kicked out.”
“My house has holes in the wall and floor, and the roof leaks every time it rains. The bathwater is brown and there is mould in the roof. My landlord is also the property owner, and he takes no action when I ask him to fix the house. I can’t make a formal complaint because … Read More
Read More“I am disabled and currently homeless because I cant find somewhere to live with my dog….”
“I am disabled and currently homeless with my dog. I rescued my dog from being put to sleep. My dog is my greatest support for my mental health, and I have had to consider getting rid of her just to get a roof over my head. “I cannot find a rental anywhere where I can … Read More
Read MoreYour rental reform ideas: “Tenants deserve a cooling off period…”
We asked and you answered! Here’s one of the many rental reform ideas that have been contributed by Queenslanders… A renting reform I’d like to see in Queensland is the introduction of cooling-off periods for tenants when they sign a new lease. When moving into a new house, my partner and I discovered the lights … Read More
Read More“I can’t find somewhere to live with my kitten…”
“My experience with renting in my current unit while owning a pet has been great. I’ve never had any issues, but soon my lease will be up and I am struggling to find a place that will take my kitten in as well. I believe that all units/houses/apartments should consider permitting pets. I see so … Read More
Read More“My dog is my best mate….” Lauren and Alex’s story
Renting with Pets “I got my dog, Rylie, about two-and-a-half years ago,” explains Alex, a Queensland tenant and pet owner. “I was very lucky to live in a house where pet ownership was permitted. After I moved out of that house, I encountered difficulties. Almost every rental advertisement said, ‘no pets’. It took two months … Read More
Read More“I lost my home for no reason…” Susan’s story
“I rented a unit in regional Queensland for 18 months without any problems,” says 61-year-old Susan, “then one day, my tenancy was unexpectedly ended. I asked for a reason on several occasions, and the real estate agent just kept repeating, ‘we don’t have to give you one.’” As a pensioner with health issues, the implications … Read More
Read More