‘Build-to-rent’ has been touted as a key policy solution to Australia’s housing affordability woes. However, as we’ve argued repeatedly, its practical application has been questionable in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Indeed, there are legitimate questions that need to be asked before Australia launches into build-to-rent, namely:
- will corporatising the rental market actually result in lower rents?
- would a listed corporation charge any less than a regular landlord, especially so when its pricing power will obviously be higher?
- would they be more or less accountable for maintenance and costs?
