Margie Maccoll
After more than 20 years finding homes for abandoned, surrended and abused animals Noosa RSPCA manager Nicole Cleary is in dire need of a home herself after rent hikes have made it too expensive for her to remain at the Noosa rental she shares with her 26-year-old son.
Last year her rent rose $15 but this year it jumped $75 from $545 to $620 while her wages at the not-for-profit organisation haven’t gone up at all. And the rent increase also includes the top up of her bond by $300.
Nicole said not only does it make her rent unaffordable, with so many other people in a similar situation, the difficulty is trying to gain even the chance of applying for another rental.
“You get 60 people per house (applying),” she said. “They’re asking you to offer more than is advertised and pay six months in advance.”
Nicole said she had sent a plea letter to her landlord, explaining she’d had no pay increase, could not afford a rent increase and asking to pay the same amount as the previous year.
“I’m happy to accept a rent increase but not that much,” she said.
But she believes they’d be happy for her to go, so they could ask $720 a week.
Nic said she’d scoured rentals around Noosa and was looking outside the shire. She’s applied to rent units in Maroochydore but was told they already had 35 people on the list and weren’t accepting more applications.
To contest her rent increase Nicole said she would have to sign a new lease, pay new terms then go to a tribunal hearing. If she was unsuccessful and then had to break her lease she would be charged a break lease fee, advertising costs, jeopardise the return of her bond and pay double the rent until a new tenant was found.
“I don’t know what you do about it,” she said.
“I can’t get another job. I don’t want to ask my boss for more money.
“I have a job that’s emotionally fulfilling. I love what I do.
“I have an adult son whose living with his mum. He doesn’t earn enough to pay more rent. I don’t want my son to have to stay with me so I can afford to live.
“I could share but we’d have to have approval as a component of the rent agreement.”
The 57-year-old said she knew she wasn’t the only one in Noosa faced with this nightmare.
“You work your whole life and end up in this situation,” she said.
According to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) Queensland is experiencing record low vacancy rates with rates in Noosa at 0.8% and neighbouring centres no better. They report vacancy rates at the Sunshine Coast at 0.5% and Gympie at 0.3%.
Ray White Noosa River lists median house rentals in Noosa at $700 per week while realestate.com reports their median three-bedroom house rent in Noosa at $850 per week and median two-bedroom unit rent at $627 per week.
If anyone can assist Nicole please email newsdesk@noosatoday.com.au
