Real estate agents from across the region, including Kilmore, Benalla, Broadford, and Euroa have spoken about the ongoing challenges their industry is facing at a roundtable discussion with local MPs Annabelle Cleeland and Evan Mulholland.
The meeting, held in Kilmore, gave the agents the opportunity to discuss concerns those within the industry currently have, including tenancy disputes, VCAT delays, investors moving out of Victoria, property taxes, and more.
The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, said that tenancy disputes continue to be a major problem for real estate agents and property owners due to a broken VCAT system.
“What used to be a straightforward system now is met with delays, a lack of consistency in decision-making, and exorbitant amounts of paperwork,” Ms Cleeland said.
“One of our local agent’s cases has now had five separate hearings, another involves a 14-month delay for a bond claim for unpaid rent, while another case has reached 136 days without rental payments as VCAT proceedings continue to drag on.
“These are not massive corporations owning several properties, these are regional homeowners that rely on this income.
“While the establishment of Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria (RDRV) is set to take this burden away from VCAT, it still is yet to have an impact on ongoing delays and current issues that agents are dealing with.”
Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability, Evan Mulholland, said that continued pressure on homeowners and the real estate industry was impacting renters too.
“Despite continuous promises, after almost a decade in office Victoria’s housing crisis has only worsened, with a shortage of stock for owner-occupiers, falling vacancy rates for rental properties, and investors looking for other markets,” Mr Mulholland said.
“With rental properties scarce and Labor’s massive increase in land tax on property owners are resulting in rents are being pushed up further and further.
“Labor can’t manage money and Victorians are paying the price through higher rents.”
Data from March of this year showed that just under 60,000 Victorian households are currently waiting for social housing on the Victorian Housing Register.
