Tenants across the Hunter are feeling an increased housing pinch, with many rentals on the market sporting “unliveable conditions”.

Every year, summer proves to be the busiest time for those looking for a lease.

But, unfortunately, the local housing sector is often unable to keep up with the increasingly-high demand.

Data taken from a June 2024 survey found Newcastle’s rental vacancy rate sits at just 1%, much lower than the industry “high-pressure benchmark” of 2%.

And, with the university semester beginning in late February, many students are scrambling to find any form of accommodation.

Local renter Ella Green* said she has been searching for a house for more than four months with no luck.

“The blatant discrimination we get as uni students has been the biggest challenge,” she stated.

“We’re unable to earn a high income and a lot of real estate agencies have the idea that pupils can’t take care of a house.

“Most places are looking for tenants that earn 30% more than the rent, which is just impossible for the average student.”

As of February 2025, the median price of a rental in Newcastle sits at $800 per week, according to industry data.

It comes as a sharp 20.3% increase over the past 12 months.

But, Ms Green said finding a rental isn’t the only issue.

“I went to an inspection, which claimed that there were three bedrooms suitable for uni students,” she explained.

“Upon my arrival, I saw three rooms barely big enough for a single bed and a small study desk.

“This was simply not enough room for anyone to live in, rooms like this can impact mental health greatly.

“You are expected to pay an absurd amount for a box.”

Even a landlord in Sydney was recently accused of exploiting desperate renters by offering up accommodation for “three boys” to share a room with single mattresses on the floor for $190 a week each.

According to the National Construction Code (NCC), in order for a space to qualify as a bedroom it must have a minimum ceiling height of 2.4m and floor space of 6.5m2.

Additionally, the window needs to be 10% of the total area of the room and meet natural ventilation requirements.

If a room does not meet these marks it can only be listed as a space for “regular domestic activities”, such as a work area, gym, or recreation.

She said the “unreasonable” bedroom listing is a common pattern across properties in the area, as well as other hygiene and safety issues.

“Real estate agents will always shy away when we have been upfront about these places,” said Ms Green.

“I inspected a house that was just bought off the market… and it was disgusting, yellow stains all over the walls, mould growing throughout the kitchen and carpet that smells of wet dog with brown stains throughout.

“When I confronted the agent if this place would be receiving a deep clean before it’s even considered suitable for living in, I was faced with a laugh and a shrug, she could not even try to give me an answer.”

With many renters searching for months at a time, Ms Green said the toll is not only financial but mental as well.

“The demanding pressure to present yourself perfectly not only through applications but in person is exhausting,” she explained.

“It’s enough to make you accept living in a house that is slowly falling apart day by day.

“We are only in our 20s, we don’t earn a large income, we don’t have years of living out of home.

“Once we return to university, our hours at work will have to drop.

“What are we expected to do then when we apply for applications and our income is even smaller?

“This stress has taken over our last few days of holiday, there’s no room to enjoy parts of life when we have a constant dread lingering.”

• While this person is known to the Newcastle Weekly, their name has been changed for privacy reasons.

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