A chronic shortage in available rental properties is now a permanent fact of life in New South Wales three major metropolitan centres, the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) says.

A chronic shortage in available rental properties is now a permanent fact of life in New South Wales three major metropolitan centres, the Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) says.

The latest rental data released by the REINSW show vacancies in September deteriorated across Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.

The overall rental vacancy rate in Sydney fell 0.3 per cent to 1.2 per cent percent in September.

Newcastle recorded the greatest fall of the three major urban centres in the state, dropping 0.5 per cent to 1.2 per cent. Wollongong also deteriorated, falling 0.2 per cent to 1.8 per cent.

“Unfortunately the rental market in our major metropolitan centres has worsened in

September and the prospects for renters no matter where they choose to live are grim indeed”, said REINSW President Wayne Stewart.

“And for those people coming from other parts of the state or Australia to live in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong the message is blunt – organise rental accommodation well in advance.

“As more and more people move to our urban centres, available property will not only become scarcer but more expensive.

“We need dramatic and urgent intervention by the state government to reduce property related taxes, simplify planning laws and better utilise our land resources to meet current and future demand.

“This is a fundamental issue for the 2011 State Election with voters looking for a long term solution to this crisis”, said Mr. Stewart.

Decreases in rental vacancies were recorded in the following areas of Sydney:

‘Outer’ suburbs (More than 25 km from CBD) fell 0.3 per cent to 1.1 per cent

‘Middle’ suburbs (10-25km from CBD) which fell 0.4 per cent to 1.4 per cent

Sydney’s ‘Inner suburbs’ (0 to 10km from CBD) remained unchanged at 1.3 per cent

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Thousands of animals across the country are being abandoned every year because landlords are unwilling to rent homes to people with pets, the RSPCA says.

The RSPCA manages about 160,000 animals Australia-wide each year, and the charity’s ACT chief Michael Linke says shelters are bursting at the seams because changing living situations mean people can no longer stay with their pets.

"It’s unfair someone’s expected to surrender an animal under those circumstances," he said.

"It’s a heartbreaking thing. I’ve sat in the room with people as they’re surrendering their animals; they don’t want to do it but their choices have been limited.

"It’s their only option because of pressure on rental accommodation, and they’ve taken that difficult decision.

"It’s heartbreaking for our staff, but then we’ve got the double whammy because we then need to find a home for that animal."

Mr Linke says pet owners struggle trying to rent private and single-dwelling houses the most.

"We’ve been calling on the Real Estate Institute and private land-holders to loosen the ties a bit and be more forthcoming in allowing people with pets to find accommodation, because we’re finding a lot of people are surrendering animals to move into free-standing houses," he said.

Jacqui Limberger and her partner Ryan Blunden created a software application which helps find pet-friendly rentals on realestate.com and domain.com.

Their website also helps pet owners write a resume for their furry friends, to help give them a better shot of being approved by real estate agents.

"Research has show a lot of landlords and agents may not even consider letting to someone with a pet until they’ve seen its credentials and references from other landlords," Jacqui says.

"It gives applicants another piece of evidence to say ‘My pet’s not a problem, I’m a good tenant and I take responsibility for my pet.’

"It’s about providing people with information and resources, so landlords see pet renting doesn’t have to be a problem and also to help applicants put their best foot forward."

Inner-city kitty?

But there may be some good news for pet lovers.

The RSPCA’s Mr Linke says that these days, there’s more chance of then being approved to rent units and apartments, and a new study has found you don’t necessarily need a big back yard to own a dog or cat.

Susie Willis from the Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS) says a recent study of 800 people found pets and owners who live in units are just as happy as those who have backyards.

"There are some breeds of dogs that really fit indoor living – like pugs, whippets, french bulldogs – that don’t actually like it too hot or too cold, so being indoors is ideal for them," she said.

"Toilet training is obviously important but the reality is, most healthy adult dogs can be quite happy with two or three toilet breaks a day."

She says there’s no reason for people who live in a small inner-city place to not have a pet, and the PIAS has put out a ‘how to’ guide to help people out.

"We’ve got tips on how to prevent people from becoming bored, exercise, how to create a pet-friendly environment," she said.

"The whole point is, you can keep dogs without a backyard, but you do have to be careful with the way you manage the situation.

"We go through things from what to think about when choosing a dog or cat, how to find reliable sources to get them, what to think about when deciding on different breeds, and then we look at common problems and give tips and advice on how to solve issues.

"We also look at rental situations because it can be difficult to own pets in that situations.

"One of the things we’re conscious of doing is trying to make sure that people don’t get the wrong sort of pet and they don’t get a pet if they can’t give the necessary commitment to its ongoing care."

Story By Cassie White – ABC News

I’ve been thinking lately of setting up the lounge in the toilet. The dining room table too, and maybe the kitchen, if I can squeeze it in. There’s the obvious matters of hygiene to overcome but at a pinch, you can always do at least some of the ho-hum toileting stuff in the old kitchen sink, as shown by New York Post editor Col Allan when he was on Aussie shores.

In this chilly weather it’s been easy to sort out where the warmest, sunniest part of the house is. Yes, the smallest room in the house is also the brightest, while the places you actually want to spend time in (for longer than it takes to read the morning news or a trashy mag) are darker and cooler than a cave.

In an old house it’s easy to think ‘well that’s how they did things 100 years ago’. But the loo in question is actually in a newish rear extension that also houses the south-facing kitchen and dining area. Someone needed to give that draughtsperson a compass and show them which way was north.

It’s little wonder that we have one of the highest environmental footprints in the world (per capita) if this is how we continue to design houses. Short of hanging out in the toilet all day, or the bedrooms (which also face north), enticing though it is to sleep until lunch, the only way to get warm in the "dark zones" that are the living areas is to really crank up the heater. Last power bill? $600. And that’s not even including the gas for the main heater, so you can probably factor in another few hundred dollars there. If the house design is hurting my hip pocket, it’s also sucking up a more natural resources than it has to.

The place I’m talking about is a rental. If it was mine I’d be tempted to call in a builder to sort the mess out. But realistically, it’s much harder and way more expensive to fix something once it’s built rather than just plan it well in the first place.

Admittedly it doesn’t help  that it’s a home with gorgeous old high ceilings, up near which there’s probably a metre-thick blanket of warm air floating, hovering enticingly above our heads. But I can live with them, they look great and help keep the house cool in summer, even though they’re not recommended in modern green homes.

But a home that takes advantage of the lower-in-the-sky winter sun and baths the living areas in warmth is high on my wish list at the moment. Building codes such as BASIX in NSW have done a lot to raise awareness amongst home builders that the direction you face your main living areas is important. But it seems there’s still a fair way to go.

It makes sense that as energy prices rise over time, home buyers will also be prepared to fork out more for energy-efficient properties that keep them comfortable and cut their utility bills. We’re not there yet … but we can only hope the day comes soon. Then many more homes would be designed with such basic but vital things as the path of the sun in mind.

Carolyn Boyd is a property journalist and keen follower of Australia’s housing market.

She writes for domain.com.au