No surprise at lack of rentals

So many homes in our neighbourhood are now occupied with their owners two to five days each week, because since COVID, they are now free to work from home. 

They are now using their own holiday home each or most weeks. 

Add to that the huge influx of permanent people who relocated from capital cities.

Property owners who get no rent or less rent during COVID, are terrified of the tenant they put in their property as it won’t be easy to get them out in the future. 

The census showing “vacant homes” was done during lockdown - so the work from home funsters had to stay in Melbourne. 

There are your main reasons for less rental housing available. 

The Bass Coast has always been a regional coastal holiday destination area. And it still is. 

Tourism is the number one economy. 

And now the shire expects that to suddenly change to be less holiday homeowners and less short term accommodation? 

This is not Melbourne - and hence permanent rental could not be expected to be as available here in a tourism regional area. 

The infrastructure doesn’t even support permanent rental adequately as it does in metropolitan Melbourne. Think about it. 

It’s many factors. 

There’s no one silver bullet you can grab onto to change the whole thing overnight. 

Except - what if the government actually provided housing instead of relying on private mum and dad citizens?

Natalie Morris, Cowes