{"id":615550,"date":"2026-04-18T18:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/615550\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T18:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:16:11","slug":"man-living-in-caravan-sounds-alarm-on-urgent-rental-crisis-as-aussies-flee-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/615550\/","title":{"rendered":"Man living in caravan sounds alarm on ‘urgent’ rental crisis as Aussies flee cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Horne thought he had a good handle on the rental market<\/a> after six years living in the NSW Northern Rivers.<\/p>\n

But after a stint away, his return to Byron Bay<\/a> has brought him back to fierce competition for homes, with some listings attracting so much interest<\/a> that owners have paused applications altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever a decent rental comes up, there\u2019ll be 80 to 100 likes<\/a> on the post within 24 hours\u2026 if you\u2019re late to respond, you\u2019re already 100 deep,\u201d Tom told Yahoo News Australia.<\/p>\n

Tom and his partner are living in a renovated caravan<\/a> \u2014 a temporary set-up that\u2019s giving them some breathing room \u2014 but he said many others are far less fortunate.<\/p>\n

“A lot of people don\u2019t have that option, so they\u2019re having to jump at whatever\u2019s available,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His experience reflects a broader squeeze across regional Australia, where demand has surged since the pandemic but supply has struggled to keep pace.<\/p>\n

Rental listings are scarce, competition is intense, and prices have climbed sharply even for smaller or lower-quality properties.<\/p>\n

Across many regional areas, vacancy rates are sitting at or below 1 per cent, according to a Housing Industry Association (HIA) report<\/a>, leaving renters with limited choice and little negotiating power.<\/p>\n

And that imbalance is being felt across the country.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story about renting? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Byron<\/p>\n

Tom’s recently moved back to Byron Bay after a stint in Victoria. He said looking for a home to rent has been taxing. Source: Tom Horne<\/p>\n

What’s the problem with Australia’s regions?<\/p>\n

Industry figures suggest the issue is not short-term pressure, but a structural shortfall in housing supply.<\/p>\n

HIA\u2019s Simon Croft said regional communities have absorbed much of Australia\u2019s population growth since the pandemic \u2014 there are now 10 million people living outside cities \u2014 without the housing or infrastructure needed to support it.<\/p>\n

“The housing crisis in regional Australia is just as urgent as in our capital cities<\/a> \u2014 and in many cases, more acute,\u201d Croft told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

He warned that housing supply and infrastructure have not kept pace with demand, leaving younger Australians in particular increasingly locked out and regional employers struggling to attract workers.<\/p>\n

This reflects a broader failure in national planning, Croft said, arguing that housing, infrastructure and workforce needs must be coordinated through a dedicated regional housing approach.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

Homeowners in Bryon Bay were recently banned from leasing their homes for more than 60 days in a calendar year, in a bid to ease the burden on the rental market. Source: Getty<\/p>\n

How can we fix the regional housing crisis in Australia?<\/p>\n

Croft said what is needed now is a dedicated, long\u2011term national housing plan that explicitly recognises the distinct pressures faced by regional, rural and remote communities.<\/p>\n

“If governments commit to a dedicated regional housing framework, not ad hoc or one-size-fits-all solutions, industry and regional towns can plan for a sustained and structured growth both in the short, mid and longer term…,” he said.<\/p>\n

“With the right settings, even modest incentives can unlock meaningful new supply in regional towns.”<\/p>\n

He said planning should include place-based targets, investment in social and key worker housing, and faster delivery of essential infrastructure such as roads, water and energy, alongside flexibility for smaller councils.<\/p>\n

He also believes population growth can be positive if it is properly managed, with housing supply aligned to demand, early infrastructure investment, and a mix of housing types that preserve local character while supporting growth.<\/p>\n

“Regional Australians welcome growth, but they want growth that enhances liveability, not overwhelms it,” Croft said.<\/p>\n

Australia has no shortage of land<\/p>\n

Tom said in Byron Bay, the situation has become dire. He said landlords are now receiving so many enquiries that they are unable to respond within days.<\/p>\n

And it certainly isn’t confined to the Northern Rivers.<\/p>\n

In Dubbo and Bendigo, renters face very limited availability and strong competition amid persistently low vacancy rates. Townsville, Cairns and Toowoomba continue to face undersupply, while Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo also remain tight at around or just above one per cent due to sustained demand.<\/p>\n

Even in more traditional “working regional” cities, the shortage of rental stock has made securing housing increasingly difficult for essential workers.<\/p>\n

Tom believes the problem goes beyond demand alone.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not exactly regional here in Byron the same way as it is somewhere like Orange \u2014 but it definitely feels like it\u2019s under pressure,” he said.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s a housing crisis, but there\u2019s not a land crisis. There\u2019s so much land everywhere. I\u2019ve just driven the whole east coast \u2014 there\u2019s space everywhere.<\/p>\n

“If you\u2019ve got land right now, you should be encouraged to put small, self-contained homes on it.<\/p>\n

“It shouldn\u2019t take years of approvals, it should be incentivised.”<\/p>\n

He said Australia\u2019s low population density should be an advantage, not a constraint.<\/p>\n

“We live on one of the least densely populated continents,” Tom said.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re not short on space \u2014 we just need to build and develop. That\u2019s the advantage of being in Australia. We should be cutting red tape and incentivising it.”<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n