The Rent Crisis Action campaign calls on property managers and residential property investors to provide theirs view on the housing crisis and, specifically, the impact of policies and legislation – whether existing or proposed – which affect the availability of rental supply.

REINSW CEO Tim McKibbin said the campaign is about bringing balance to the issue so that the Government and Opposition can form an appropriate long-term view to address the crisis.

“The tenant perspective is well represented in the public domain, as it should be. However, a healthy market is a balanced market, and this requires balance in enabling the views of all stakeholders to be heard. That’s what this campaign is about,” Mr McKibbin says.

“Everyone recognises the lack of rental accommodation is at crisis point. The potential consequences for people at risk, and who can’t find a home, are tragic. Yet to date, the solutions presented to the community to apparently address the shortage are driving the very people who provide homes to rent from the market.

“Seeking to impose caps on rent as repayments cost spiral, seeking to remove the rights of people to refuse pets in their property no matter how ill-equipped it may be for animals, not to mention the ongoing labelling of property investors as ‘greedy’. It’s all adding up and the effect is clear. Investing in residential property is increasingly a less attractive prospect.

“It’s a simple premise which is being ignored. If you need more homes for people to rent, you don’t disincentivise people from providing those homes.

“It’s important to remember not everyone is in a position to buy a home. For many people, renting is either preferred or necessary. But they need choice. If investing in residential property becomes less attractive, those people will have fewer choices than they have now,” he said.

To be part of the campaign is easy. Property managers and investors can complete the survey here: rentcrisisaction.reinsw.com.au. The REINSW is encouraging as many respondents as possible to provide their views so both major parties are obligated to take notice. It takes two minutes.

“We have a situation where politicians are making announcements with a timeframe of no more than a few weeks in mind, being the election. Yet the housing crisis is a long-term problem which needs a long-term solution,” Mr McKibbin said.

“Targeting and even demonising one part of the market in a short-sighted attempt to appease another is not working. Residential property investors are leaving the market and would-be investors are choosing to put their money elsewhere.

“And tenants are losing out. This is a point everyone can agree on.”