Cush for Comment: Time to give landlords, property managers a break

News Corp Australia Network

I’ve been working in the property management industry for nearly 30 years, and around it for even longer.

Which is why it is so frustrating when property managers and private landlords are painted as the ‘enemy’ when it comes to the rental crisis.

Brisbane auctioneer Haesley Cush.

---

I remember as a small child, mum going out at night to let tenants into properties who had locked themselves out, helping new Australians get established in Moorooka and being on-site with people when Mother Nature unleashed her powers during storms and flooding events.

I also get annoyed when the landlords are painted as greedy.

MORE PROPERTY NEWS:

Queensland rent cap fallout: landlords are hurting too

Mortgage shock: Massive shortfall in wages versus what banks now require

We manage over 1000 properties across Brisbane, and when Covid challenged affordability, we received little to no pushback from landlords to lower or stop rents to help their tenants.

Brisbane’s rental crisis is only getting worse. Picture: Jeremy Piper.

---

The private landlord industry is currently getting told to stop putting up prices after a decade of lowering rents while fighting mounting costs in interest rates, maintenance, and taxes. Meanwhile, as the government met a few weeks ago for another housing summit, they also mailed investors across the state with their updated/increased land tax bills.

Brisbane auctioneer Haesley Cush asks why landlords are being given such a hard time when they could well be the solution to Queensland’s rental crisis. Picture: Nicholas Eagar.

---

The ideas from that summit that have received the most air time were limits to only one rent increase every 12 months, talk of buying properties for social housing, and even building some more.

Many of these ideas have validity, but why not support the private landlord?

A long line of prospective tenants waiting to inspect a rental property. Picture: Chris Pavlich.

---

Many landlords are also struggling with affordability, they are not modern versions of Ebenezer Scrooge with money falling out of their pockets.

So, before we start throwing money in every direction, except to the private landlord, it might be worth looking toward the quickest solution to this problem.