A landlord has been branded a ‘criminal’ after hiking their tenant’s rent by over 60 per cent.
Renters’ rights advocate Jordan van den Berg, who is known as Purplepingers online, shared an email from a rental agent advising a rent increase had been issued by an unnamed landlord.
The email initially struck an empathetic note, claiming the ‘landlord understands that increasing rent can be difficult’.
It stated that, with this in mind, the property owner has ‘carefully considered the need for this increase, compared rents for similar properties in the area, and feels that the new rent is fair and reasonable’.
But then comes the kicker: the rent will be increased by a whopping 61.7 per cent.
The tenant, who was previously paying $1,200 a fortnight, will now have to fork out $1,940 for the same period if they want to stay in the property.
‘The landlord understands that increasing rent can be difficult and has carefully considered the need for this increase, which is why they’re increasing the rent by 62 per cent,’ the email reads.
A landlord has been branded a ‘criminal’ after hiking their tenant’s rent by over 60 per cent (pictured: renters queuing to view an open inspection in Bondi in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs)
Renters’ rights advocate Jordan van den Berg, who is known as Purplepingers online, shared an email from a rental agent advising that a rent increase issued by an unnamed landlord (pictured)
Mr van den Berg, added simply: ‘Abolish landlords. This shouldn’t be legal.’
His post, which was shared on social media, infuriated Aussies who branded the landlord’s behaviour ‘criminal’.
‘Surly there must be a law against this extortion,’ one wrote.
‘Who can produce $360 per week out of thin air!’
Another accused landlords of being a ‘scum class’.
‘They are greedy bottom feeders who simply leech off hard-working people who, unlike them, actually contribute to the economy,’ they added.
One said that the situation summed up all that was wrong with Australia’s worsening housing crisis.
‘Between greedy landlords and rorting real estate agents, people don’t have a f***ing chance of retaining affordable housing,’ the wrote.
But not all of the blame was laid at the landlord’s door.
‘The property managers are equally to blame,’ one pointed out.
‘Given they take a percentage in management fees, there’s no incentive to be ethical.’
Rental advocate Mr van den Berg (pictured) called for landlords to be abolished
One X user said that the situation summed up all that was wrong with Australia’s worsening housing crisis
It is unclear where in Australia the property is: however, $600-a-week could be a small apartment in any major city in the country.
Another highlighted how this kind of behaviour exposed the generational divide between typically cashed-up Baby Boomers and the rest of society.
‘I do think one of the fault lines between Millenials/Gen Z and older generations is a clear understanding, if not personal experience, of the sheer greed and uselessness of landlords,’ they wrote.
However, not everyone agreed that the landlord was in the wrong.
‘Do you have a house that people rent? Or you still live at mums house?’, one person adked.
‘You ever heard of rates? House insurance? Maintenance? If you can’t afford it, don’t live there. And if there are no houses talk to Albanese.’
Another Aussie user told Mr van den Berg to ‘get a grip’.
‘Who buys houses then? Who pays for increases in mortgage rates, council rates, insurance etc,’ they wrote.
‘Grow up – if you want to live in a communist society try Russia but don’t bleat and whine when you find it’s just the same.’
Daily Mail Australia has approached Mr van den Berg for comment.
