Council Reports Only 4 Percent of the Australian Rental Market Occupied by Overseas Students
The Student Accommodation Council has emphasized that blaming students for housing affordability issues is unjust.
The Council reported that overseas students only occupy 4 percent of the private rental market, as outlined in a Senate inquiry on Aug. 26.
This accounts for approximately 120,000 rental properties and almost 500,000 rooms.
Anu Dowling, CEO of Skate Australia Management and chair of the Student Accommodation Council, refuted this claim.
“Accusing international students of causing the housing crisis is not only baseless but also unfair, as it distorts the real cause of the problem and risks tarnishing their reputation in the public eye,” she stated.
She shared insights from the “Myth Busting Report,” commissioned by the Council, which revealed that only 4 percent of rental housing is occupied by students.
Many of these residences are located near Group of Eight universities in cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide.
According to Council members, the local interest in hosting students reached a peak in 2024.
“Well-managed, hosted accommodation not only enhances integration for international students but also fosters diversity and multiculturalism. We believe that this approach will receive widespread support from the community, government, and industry,” they expressed.
David Bycroft, founder of the Australian Homestead Network, cited the demand from international students as increasing pressure on the domestic rental market, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.
However, Bycroft argued that reducing student numbers is not the solution, but rather constructing more purpose-built student accommodation in the long term.
He highlighted the significant lead time for such projects and proposed utilizing the estimated 13 million spare rooms in current Australian homes as a possible short-term remedy to alleviate strain on the rental market.
