A landlord has been branded a “criminal” after increasing his tenant’s rent by more than 60 per cent.
Tenants’ rights advocate Jordan van den Berg, known online as Purplepingers, shared an email from a rental agent reporting a rent increase issued by an anonymous landlord.
The email initially conveys empathy, stating that “the landlord understands that raising rent can be difficult.”
He says that, with this in mind, the landlord has “carefully considered the need for this increase, compared rents for similar properties in the area and believes the new rent is fair and reasonable.”
But then comes the crux of the matter: rents will rise by a whopping 61.7 percent.
The tenant, who previously paid $1,200 per fortnight, will now have to shell out $1,940 for the same period if he wants to remain in the property.
“The landlord understands that raising rent can be difficult and has carefully considered the need for this increase, which is why he is increasing the rent by 62 percent,” the email reads.
A landlord has been branded a “criminal” after increasing his tenant’s rent by more than 60 per cent (pictured: tenants queuing to watch an open inspection in Bondi, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs)
Tenants’ rights advocate Jordan van den Berg, known online as Purplepingers, shared an email from a letting agent reporting a rent increase issued by an anonymous landlord (pictured)
Mr van den Berg added simply: “Landlords must be abolished. This should not be legal.”
His post, which was shared on social media, angered Australians who called the owner’s behaviour “criminal”.
“There must surely be a law against this extortion,” wrote one.
‘Who can produce $360 a week out of nothing?!’
Another accused the owners of being “scum.”
“They are opportunists and greedy people who simply take advantage of hard-working people who, unlike them, actually contribute to the economy,” they added.
One said the situation encapsulated everything that was wrong with Australia’s worsening housing crisis.
“Between greedy landlords and corrupt real estate agents, people have no chance of keeping affordable housing,” he wrote.
But not all the blame falls on the owner.
“The property managers are also to blame,” one noted.
“Since they take a percentage of the management fees, there is no incentive to be ethical.”
One One X user said the situation summed up everything that was wrong with Australia’s worsening housing crisis.
It is unclear where in Australia the property is located, but $600 a week could represent a small apartment in any major city in the country.
Another highlighted how this type of behavior exposed the generational gap between typically wealthy Baby Boomers and the rest of society.
“I think one of the dividing lines between Millennials/Gen Z and previous generations is a clear understanding, if not personal experience, of the utter greed and worthlessness of homeownership,” they wrote.
However, not everyone agreed that the owner was wrong.
“Do you have a house that people rent out? Or are you still living at mom’s house?” one person asked.
Have you heard about the rates? Home insurance? Maintenance? If you can’t afford it, don’t live there. And if there are no houses, talk to Albanese.
Another Australian user told Mr van den Berg to “control himself”.
“Who buys houses then? Who pays for the increases in mortgage rates, municipal taxes, insurance, etc.?” they wrote.
‘Grow up. If you want to live in a communist society, try Russia, but don’t complain and moan when you find out it’s exactly the same.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr van den Berg for comment.
