University Students Squeezed out of Rental Accommodation.
Across Australia the cost of rental accommodation has been rising dramatically over the last 6 months. In some areas the average cost of rental accommodation has risen by over 50%. Although Adelaide has significantly lower living costs than the eastern states it has not been insulated from the rises. Flinders University students looking for accommodation for the coming semesters have reported that it has become markedly more difficult to find suitable accommodation at affordable prices. They have reported that unlike the previous year, open inspections are now generally attended by 20 to 30 couples all eager to secure the property. Candid conversations with landlords present at such open inspections has revealed that they have on average raised the rents by an average of 20% moving the average price of a two bedroom flat to above $200 .
The shortage of accommodation has especially harsh impacts on international students studying at Flinders. International Students often have difficulty finding suitable accommodation even when rental properties are not in short supply. This difficulty is due to landlords generally preferring Australian references, which of course international students do not have. As a result International Students find themselves consistently loosing other to other applicants
As the start of the semester approaches many students are facing the prospect of starting classes while living in temporary accommodation. This is likely to be a significant additional pressure which will surely impact negatively on many students ability to focus academically.
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