100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

REIQ calls for urgent action as rental vacancies hit 'pretty much zero' on the Sunshine Coast

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Flights on new route start in time for Easter holidays

Bonza's direct flights between the Sunshine Coast and Launceston have started, just in time for the Easter holidays. Launceston is the 12th Bonza destination from More

Fishing report: Zoe lands perfect birthday gifts

Unfortunately, we've had another week of heavy rainfall and windy conditions. The freshwater, combined with super high tides, has made our estuaries virtually unfishable again More.

Photo of the day: river paddle

These kayakers on the Maroochy River brought some colour to a very grey day, writes Sandy Gillis. If you have a photo of the day More

Highway patrol hits the road for Easter operation

The Sunshine Coast Highway Patrol will be out in force during the holidays, as part of Operation Easter Break. District officer superintendent Craig Hawkins said More

Fines issued as council continues blitz on illegal camping

More than a dozen fines have been issued as a local council continues to crack down on travellers who use public car parks as More

‘Classic’ motel making $465k annual profit on market

The sale of a Sunshine Coast motel with tropical gardens, an onsite residence and approval to grow is being described as an opportunity “that More

Rental vacancy on the Sunshine Coast is the tightest in ten years amid the region’s skyrocketing popularity as the top destination for interstate migration.

The vacancy rate is locked on an extremely low 0.3 per cent for a second consecutive quarter, the latest Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) data reveals.

A healthy rental market should have a vacancy rate of between 2.5 and 3.4 per cent but the Sunshine Coast has not been in that range since 2011.

REIQ Sunshine Coast zone chair Matt Diesel said the availability of rental homes was “pretty much zero unfortunately”.

“We’ve never seen anything like it,” Mr Diesel said.

“It’s stressful for tenants looking for properties and even for those selling and looking for somewhere to stay short term.”

The Sunshine Coast is drawing an influx of new interstate residents attracted to the region’s liveability, relative affordability and lifestyle.

But REIQ figures for the December 2020 quarter show the rental market hasn’t shifted in months.

Many areas such as Buddina (0.3%), Caloundra (0.3%), Maroochydore (0.5%), Noosa (0.4%) and Sunrise Beach (0.5%) have continued to tighten marginally over the last three months.

Get more Sunshine Coast stories direct to your inbox by subscribing to our free daily news feed: Go to SUBSCRIBE at top of this article to register.

By comparison Brisbane is considered the only healthy rental market currently in Queensland, with a 3.3 per cent vacancy rate, down from 5 per cent in the June quarter.

There are some tight spots in Brisbane such as the city’s middle ring which remains “extremely tight” including Hawthorne (1.4%), New Farm (1.9%), Paddington (2.1%) and St Lucia (1.7%).

Brisbane’s outer ring is even tighter, such as Ashgrove (1.6%), Camp Hill (1.3%), Cannon Hill (1.4%), Hamilton (1.9%), Holland Park (1.2%) and Moorooka (1.3%).

“It’s a similar scenario as you travel around the wider regions of Brisbane including Ipswich, Logan, Morton Bay and Redlands which all have uncomfortably low stock levels around 1%,” said REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella.

Do you have a rental story? Email news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au

Across regional areas, Cairns (1.2%), Cassowary Coast (1.1%), Isaac (1.2%), Mareeba (1.5%) and the Whitsundays (1.4%) had vacancies rise above 1%.

However, for the remaining 90 per cent of regional Queensland, rental vacancies plunged further in places like Bundaberg (0.4%), Fraser Coast (0.6%), Hervey Bay (0.9%),
Mackay (0.7%), Toowoomba (0.7%) and Townsville (0.7%).

Rockhampton recorded the lowest rental vacancies for the December 2020 quarter at 0.2%.

Ms Mercola said the rental situation in Queensland was “unsustainable” and required “urgent action” to encourage investment and abolish stamp duty.

Mr Diesel said investors were starting to regain interest in the Sunshine Coast which was one way to improve the rental stock.

“Investors are getting no returns from their money in the bank, and bricks and mortar is the way to go and the Sunshine Coast’s low vacancy rate is the right place to invest,” he said.

Mr Diesel said reports of dozens of prospective tenants vying and bidding for the few homes available had not abated.

He encouraged people to ensure they had their paperwork and references in order before lodging applications and pitching for homes.

[scn_go_back_button] Return Home

Subscribe to SCN’s daily news email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.