100,000 Melbourne Homes Sit EMPTY as Landlords REFUSE to Rent Them Out


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbrg29dWwpo




May 7, 2026


100,945 Melbourne homes are sitting empty or underused right now. 31,890 of them haven't had a single drop of water run through the pipes in an entire year. Not one shower. Not one flush. Meanwhile, 24,000 Melbournians are sleeping rough.

Yeah, nah — this is genuinely cooked.

A renter on Reddit described 74 people registered for a single inspection — giving them a 1.35% chance of getting the place. Another submitted 30 applications and got knocked back every time. And one couple offered 12 months' rent upfront — $27,560 cash, guaranteed — and the landlord still said no. Then relisted the property for less. The maths doesn't maths, mate.

Here's why. Victoria's land tax threshold sits at $50,000 — twelve times lower than New South Wales at $1,075,000. Stack land tax, body corporate fees, a 6% mortgage, and 130-plus compliance reforms on top of each other, and thousands of landlords decided empty is cheaper than rented. The Victorian Government built a Vacant Residential Land Tax to fix it and empty homes went up 16% in a single year. Sensational policy work, that.

And while we're sitting here with 100,000 dark windows, New Zealand's rents actually fell 3.2% in 2025 — because they built enough homes. Canada's rental vacancy hit 4.5% nationally. Melbourne's? Still stuck at 1.4% and falling.

Same hemisphere. Completely different planet.

Hopefully Labor can help us to climb out of their mess?

Bobby. wrote on May 7^th, 2026 at 2:44pm:

100,000 Melbourne Homes Sit EMPTY as Landlords REFUSE to Rent Them Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbrg29dWwpo May 7, 2026 100,945 Melbourne homes are sitting empty or underused right now. 31,890 of them haven't had a single drop of water run through the pipes in an entire year. Not one shower. Not one flush. Meanwhile, 24,000 Melbournians are sleeping rough. Yeah, nah — this is genuinely cooked. A renter on Reddit described 74 people registered for a single inspection — giving them a 1.35% chance of getting the place. Another submitted 30 applications and got knocked back every time. And one couple offered 12 months' rent upfront — $27,560 cash, guaranteed — and the landlord still said no. Then relisted the property for less. The maths doesn't maths, mate. Here's why. Victoria's land tax threshold sits at $50,000 — twelve times lower than New South Wales at $1,075,000. Stack land tax, body corporate fees, a 6% mortgage, and 130-plus compliance reforms on top of each other, and thousands of landlords decided empty is cheaper than rented. The Victorian Government built a Vacant Residential Land Tax to fix it and empty homes went up 16% in a single year. Sensational policy work, that. And while we're sitting here with 100,000 dark windows, New Zealand's rents actually fell 3.2% in 2025 — because they built enough homes. Canada's rental vacancy hit 4.5% nationally. Melbourne's? Still stuck at 1.4% and falling. Same hemisphere. Completely different planet.

They have a plan Bobby, raise the taxes and rents are sure to fall.

Leroy wrote on May 7^th, 2026 at 5:42pm:

They have a plan Bobby, raise the taxes and rents are sure to fall.

A tax on empty houses.

Labor has got to do something -
they invited millions of people here when
there was nowhere for them to live.

Millions more are on their way here.     ::)

All caused by too many immigrants -

they are robbing people in small towns now -
we've had enough of their crimes in the big cities -
if you leave a new Mercedes in your driveway they do a home invasion
to get the keys -
or they wait till you're at a petrol station at night and bash you for the keys -
then drive off.
They work in gangs of at least 4 so you have no chance to stop them.
A dozen invaded one old lady's house.
I blame Labor.

Bobby,is this your daily commute

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aquascoot wrote on May 7^th, 2026 at 9:42pm:

Bobby,is this your daily commute

yep - that looks like Dandenong.   :-/