![Fitzpatrick's Sonia Greentree said the number of rental properties in Wagga is now sitting at about 25 per cent of where it was eight years ago. Picture contributed Fitzpatrick's Sonia Greentree said the number of rental properties in Wagga is now sitting at about 25 per cent of where it was eight years ago. Picture contributed](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/172474527/165bdf42-824c-4c5e-9189-e0643626cd69.jpg/r0_757_3549_2791_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Wagga renters are feeling the pinch according to a report released this week.
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Single renters receiving benefits are struggling to pay for a roof over their heads according to the National Shelter-SGS Economics & Planning Rental Affordability Index released on Tuesday.
The annual study found renting was "extremely unaffordable" for residents in that category across the 2650 postcode in the second quarter of 2022, as it also revealed the Wagga market it is "moderately unaffordable" for the average renter - slightly worse than the regional NSW average.
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The study found the average rental household in regional NSW has a gross annual income of $84,651 and that if renters paid 29 per cent of their total income to rent, regional NSW sits on the verge of being deemed unaffordable.
It is now the third quarter in a row since Wagga's average dropped from "acceptable" status.
The study, which assessed multiple different households, classed renting as "unaffordable" for pensioner couples and single pensioners, "moderately unaffordable" for students in a sharehouse, "acceptable" for hospitality workers and minimum wage couples and "very affordable" for dual income renters with children.
Reflecting on the data, Fitzpatricks head of property management Sonia Greentree said it is becoming increasingly difficult for renters to take up dwellings in Wagga.
She said whereas about eight years ago there would have been 400 rental properties on the market at this time of year, there are now only about 100.
"We have had to deny many more people from renting because there's a lot less properties available," Ms Greentree said.
She said there are a number of reasons why there are less properties available, including property owners leaving the market and newly-built homes not going onto the rental market.
Ms Greentree also sought to correct the perception that most landlords own many properties.
Around 80 per cent of landlords owned a single investment property in 2020 according to REINSW CEO Tim McKibbin.
Ms McKibbin also decried measures that she believes would give renters too much power such as a push by the NSW Greens to freeze rising rent prices.
She said pushes to take away more rights from landlords like this would only have the effect of making matters worse by pushing more rental properties owned by "everyday investors" out of the market.
Ms Greentree believes there are "already many strengths" that tenants have" and said it must be fair to both parties.
"I'm not saying landlords should have controls that make it too unfair to the tenants, but I think it needs to be fair between both parties," she said.
"A landlord should be able to seek possession back of their property for whatever reason they want, given appropriate notice.
"At the moment it's 90 days after a lease expires. That gives the tenant three months to find another property.
"Within that, a tenant can vacate whenever they want and pay rent up until they hand in the keys."
Shelter NSW CEO John Engeler said the regions have been "viewed with misty eyes for too long as an affordable option for Sydneysiders to retreat to when rents got too high in the city."
"This is not the case, not for newcomers and certainly not for locals living on local industry wages," Mr Engeler said.
"Since the pandemic, a growing proportion of renters are forced to dedicate more than 30% of their income to rent in the regions. This is not a sustainable situation, it's a social emergency."
Meanwhile, SGS Economics & Planning principal Ellen Witte said unaffordability is hurting the economy too.
"Unaffordability has spread from employment centres," Ms Witte said.
"Households have to live further away from where the jobs are to access affordable rents, and businesses are struggling to find workers."
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