Unity Jackson-Muir, Real estate reporter
A Sydney renter has seen his rent increase by almost 60 per cent in three years for a unit he claims has mold, leaking sewage and duct taped holes in the shower.
Ben Hartley moved into a two-bedroom Coogee rental in 2023 and was originally paying $570 per week.
Since then, he’s negotiated his rent down but still received four rent increases over the last three years that have been equivalent to $330 extra per week or a 57.9 per cent increase.
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Ben Hartley and his housemate. Picture: Supplied
Figures from realestate.com.au show Coogee units rented for a median $850 a week in 2023 and are now $1,000 per week in the latest quarterly data , up 17.7 per cent.
Mr Hartley is now paying $900 per week but claimed the “old, tired Art Deco building” also has serious maintenance issues that are going mostly unaddressed.
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The base of the shower where duct tape covers a crack in the bath. Picture: Supplied
Pictures supplied by Mr Hartley show strips of duct tape covering a crack in the apartment’s bathtub-shower that he said has been there since he moved into the property in 2023.
A picture of the toilet shows a build up of gunk where the porcelain seals to the floor, which Mr Hartley said he thought was leaking sewage.
Mr Hartley said the toilet moves at the base and claims sewage seeps out from the crack. Picture: Supplied
“The bottom of the toilet moves and we’re pretty sure it’s sewage water coming out at the bottom of the toilet and that one was reported about a month ago,” Mr Hartley said.
The top hinge of the bathroom window has broken away from the frame. Picture: Supplied
The bathroom window has popped off the hinge and Mr Hartley claimed “we can’t open (it) because the wood frame rotted past being fixed.”
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The kitchen cabinetry in the rental. Picture: Supplied
Mr Hartley also said the apartment has a mold problem that they “have to stay on top of” by running dehumidifiers but that is a “run of the mill Sydney damp problem”.
Mr Hartley said his landlord blamed their rent increases on recent interest rate rises but he asked, “who can afford $100 a week rental increases every 12 months?”
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The backsplash and the inside of the kitchen cabinets. Picture: Supplied
As a landlord himself, Mr Hartley said that rate rises were, “already factored into my investment decision … and I’m not going to ring my property manager and say I need to increase the rent.”
Mr Hartley bought his investment property earlier this year in Darwin where median rents are growing at the fastest rate in the country and are $140 per week higher than Melbourne.
The latest data from realestate.com.au shows median rents in Darwin are $140pw more expensive than Melbourne and Hobart. Source: REA Rental Report September 2026
He said that his tenants reported a “load of maintenance” that prompted him to replace a range of “tired” features in the home like light fixtures, fans and vanities.
“Whatever I’ve done, I’m trying to go above and beyond so that it’s fair on them,” Mr Hartley said.
Mr Hartley said that there’s a public perception that landlords are all greedy with “millions of properties” but that “even as an owner” what’s happening with rental increases “is crazy.”
Mr Hartley said he backs NSW MP Jenny Leong’s rent control bill that was introduced to state parliament late last month.
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Greens MP Jenny Leong introduced a bill to NSW parliament proposing rental caps of 2 per cent per year after a 12 month price freeze. Pictures: Newswire / Brendan Read
He said that he would have saved $14,700 a year if a 2 per cent rent cap had been in place since 2023.
“Nobody can justify putting the rent up by $330 a week on a place they refuse to spend a cent on,” Mr Hartley said.
“Right now, the easiest (solution) would be a moratorium like a rent cap because building new places is not quick,” he said.
Recently released polling by The Australia Institute revealed four in five Aussies support rent control measures like rent freezes or caps limiting increases.
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Australia Institute deputy research director Jack Thrower said well-designed rent controls can benefit the overall community without reducing rental stock. Picture: Supplied
Jack Thrower, deputy research director at The Australia Institute, said a lot of commentary on rent control is misleading.
“Experiences in Australia and abroad show that well-designed rent controls can assist renters and benefit the overall community by giving renters enough stability to put down deeper roots,” Mr Thrower said.
A key criticism of rent controls is that they might push out investors who would ordinarily provide private rentals.
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