The rent crisis in Sydney forced me and my roommate into a horror market

I heard horror stories from roommates who lived without electricity or water in their house for three months after an electrical fire, a couple whose front door fell down three times while their agent refused to fix it, and a couple whose house ran out of sewage was flooded. Another friend who had lived in his apartment for five years and was a model renter pushed back a $100-a-week rent increase, only to learn there were plenty of people out there who would be happy to pay the price.

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I’m no longer surprised when friends tell me their rent is going up, that they’ve been given a notice of termination, or that their circumstances aren’t ideal. It’s more of a surprise to hear that renters haven’t heard from their agent.

Fortunately, my nightmare story has a happy ending. This time. Yes, we got kicked out, but we were one of the lucky few who got a spot. That said, my heart goes out to those who are still looking, to those who live in a hotel, or move back in with their parents, or who are too expensive and live on the streets or have money to spend who don’t really need a roof on their heads. Australia’s rent crisis was avoidable. The real estate market is not an animal of its own. It is fed by greed and must follow a strict diet.

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