I recently had the unpleasant experience of looking for rental accommodation in Byron Bay.
As is well known, there is a dearth of reasonably priced places. What may not be so obvious is that many landlords are adamant that anyone in receipt of a government pension (generally speaking, the poorest and most vulnerable) may not apply for government rental assistance.
One has to question why this might be, and my belief is that in these instances, landlords are not declaring their rental income.
I was astounded when I came across this stricture, especially when – on several occasions – I had been made aware of the relative wealth of the landlord.
Perhaps a little more honesty on the part of local landlords might ease the burden on the less fortunate amongst us?
Tony Parker, Byron Bay
