40yo renter reveals grim reality after rental increase   :(
A Melbourne comedian has revealed the landlord act that left her feeling “worthless”, branding the city’s rental crisis a “dumpster fire”.


News.com.au
July 13, 2024

Sarah Bartolo is currently experiencing every renter’s nightmare. She’s watching new potential tenants inspect her apartment, which she cannot afford.

Ms Bartolo, 40, is a comedian, actor, and studio assistant who lives in the trendy suburb of Brunswick East in Melbourne.

Her lease ends in August, and her real estate agent informed her that the landlord wants to increase the rent from $423 per week to $523 per week.

She’s been priced out of her apartment and, as if that news hasn’t been tough enough to face, she’s now stuck living in a unit hosting inspections for potential new tenants.

“I am showing this couple how amazing this apartment is without them knowing I am being forced to find alternative accommodation because I can’t currently afford this one-bedroom apartment,” she said.

It is part of the process of being a tenant when you’re not renewing your lease to have people come and inspect the apartment but Ms Bartolo said the process has made her feel “deflated and worthless” because the reason she’s leaving is because she’s been priced out.

“I am showing these potential new tenants the apartment that I’ve been priced out of, telling them how amazing it is and that I love living there without them knowing why I have to leave. I felt like I was in a Black Mirror episode,” she told news.com.au.

Sarah Bartolo said the experience has made her feel ‘worthless’. 

Ms Bartolo said that the rental crisis in Melbourne has become a “dumpster fire”, and she’s not exactly wrong.

According to data from REA’s PropTrack, the national rental vacancy rate, or the proportion of properties available for rent, is 1.42 per cent. In Melbourne, the vacancy rate is 1.5 per cent.


Plus according to the financial comparison website Mozo, the average Melbourne rent is sitting at $570, a 14 per cent increase from last year.

Once her lease ends, Ms Bartolo will move in with her family to save, not for a house deposit, but so she can afford another rental.

“I’ll be moving in with my family, who rent a house, for the next six months and, hopefully, I can save enough money to move into a place by myself again. But if it can’t, I would definitely need to move in with someone else, which doesn’t make me feel great,” she said.

“I love the security of living in an apartment building, and the freedom of living by yourself is incredible, especially when using my apartment for all my acting work. Moving further out would not be ideal as all my acting and comedy work is close to the city, but I might have no option.”

She can't afford her rental increase.


Interestingly, Ms Bartolo’s rental issue on TikTok divided opinion, with not everyone being sympathetic to her situation.

One commented, “Imagine being 40 and not being able to afford a rent increase. You’re future is going to be grim.”

“I don’t think we are being told the full story here,” another claimed.

“Supply and demand,” another remarked.

However, there were those who seemed to feel for Ms Bartolo.

“So sorry to hear,” one person said.

“So heartbreaking,” another shared.

“We are screwed now,” another wrote.

Ms Bartolo is also single, and she feels that not having a dual income makes her even more impacted by the rental crisis.

“I definitely think it’s more difficult for single people to compete for properties in these areas. Half of my weekly wage goes onto rent, which doesn’t include bills, so we either have to find something far out or share it with people,” she said.

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“There is nothing wrong with that, obviously, but even renting a room is exorbitant at the moment. As we live in a housing crisis and there are no regulations to cap rent increases, landlords are emboldened to charge whatever they want.”   :(

Ultimately, the actor said that she’s had to “accept” not only are there suburbs she can’t afford to buy in, but that there are increasingly more suburbs where she can’t even afford to rent.

“I don’t think I can afford to rent an apartment by myself again in the same area. And even in places further out, it is becoming more and more difficult.

Her lease ends in August, and her real estate agent informed her that the landlord wants to increase the rent from $423 per week to $523 per week.   :(

whiteknight wrote on Jul 15^th, 2024 at 11:01am:

Her lease ends in August, and her real estate agent informed her that the landlord wants to increase the rent from $423 per week to $523 per week.   :(

yes sir Crook,
there was a report last night on ABC news 24 that
many pensioners were spending 80% of their pension on rent -
leaving them not enough money for food and electricity etc.

Looks like the Australian greens have a good idea.  Freeze rents for two years, then put a cap on rents.   :(

It's all Gordon's fault.  ;D

whiteknight wrote on Jul 15^th, 2024 at 11:49am:

Looks like the Australian greens have a good idea.  Freeze rents for two years, then put a cap on rents.   :(

It's all caused by mass, uncontrolled immigration where
there just aren't enough places to house everyone.
I blame mainly Albo but both major parties have caused it.

Millions of extra people have come here.
Albo doesn't care about Australians at all.

That's not funny.

Starvation has become a social policy in Australia.

Starvation will solve the problem of demand forcing up rental accommodation prices and help the government budget.

Hopefully I get the nod on a very 'woody' abode that looks like textbook Scandinavian style 3 bedroom out in the 'countryside' with kilometres of extended views from hill in surrounding greenery that looks like 'The Shire' from Hobbiton fame. All for just $300 a week!  8-) :)

whiteknight wrote on Jul 15^th, 2024 at 11:49am:

Looks like the Australian greens have a good idea.  Freeze rents for two years, then put a cap on rents.   :(

I like that idea… but also what needs to be frozen/capped that goes hand in hand with it all are council rates, insurance, and any repairs/maintenance/replacement charges frozen at same time associated with rental property freeze.

You can't put a cap on something called The Great Inflation (to offset the Great Depression from long ago).

Jasin wrote on Jul 15^th, 2024 at 12:18pm:

Hopefully I get the nod on a very 'woody' abode that looks like textbook Scandinavian style 3 bedroom out in the 'countryside' with kilometres of extended views from hill in surrounding greenery that looks like 'The Shire' from Hobbiton fame. All for just $300 a week!  8-) :)

Oh that sounds idyllic! Fingers x’ed you get it.

Sophia wrote on Jul 15^th, 2024 at 12:30pm:

whiteknight wrote on Jul 15th, 2024 at 11:49am: Looks like the Australian greens have a good idea.  Freeze rents for two years, then put a cap on rents.   :( I like that idea… but also what needs to be frozen/capped that goes hand in hand with it all are council rates, insurance, and any repairs/maintenance/replacement charges frozen at same time associated with rental property freeze.

It' a great way to prevent poor people finding a rental property. But the rich will appreciate the discount.