Why this landlord refuses to drastically raise her rent despite pressure from her pesky real estate agents

An Aussie landlord has refused to drastically raise the rent for her tenants despite being pestered by her real estate agents to lift the price by as much as $100 a week. 

Michelle Schofield owns two properties in Queensland and NSW and explained she constantly rejects calls to increase her rent to avoid driving out tenants.

‘We’re not trying to grab the money and we want people to stay in the house,’ she told Yahoo.

In the midst of Australia’s crippling rental crisis, Ms Schofield’s words will be music to the ears of long-suffering tenants.

She said she is aware of other landlords who don’t hit their tenants with increases, even if it’s in line with the rental market.

Ms Schofield points the finger at money-grubbing real estate agents who continually want her to jack up her rent by $100 a week

She pointed the finger at money-grubbing real estate agents who continually want her to raise the rent by $100 a week.

‘Not all of us are greedy tyrants, some of us have compassion,’ she said. 

Ms Schofield said she has kept the rent on her properties below what real estate agents recommended for the last three years.

She understands the cost of living crisis has hit Australians hard and only increases her rent slightly.

Although she realises some homeowners need to increase their rent due to inflation or interest rate hikes, Ms Schofield offered some advice for them.

‘I would suggest to landlords to have a bit of compassion or to delve into their real estate, and find out if they’re putting it up to equal or to above market,’ she said.

She believes if landlords showed more restraint this would help keep inflation at a reasonable level. 

Inflation is at 3.5 per cent with the Reserve Bank of Australia attempting to curb it and setting the cash rate at 4.35 per cent, after raising it 13 times within two years.  

Ms Schofield said even though she refuses to increase her rent by large amounts, she is not of the Greens pushing for a rental cap. 

In June 2023, the Greens blocked refused to accept Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s affordable housing policy unless he agreed to cap the rent in Australia.

The party buckled months later to support the Housing Australia Future Fund after Labor agreed to an additional $3billion in spending.

‘I’ve kept my real estate below what (real estate agents) have suggested for the last three years,’ Ms Schofield said

With record rental prices across the nation, Canberra has bucked the trend and is actually cheaper (stock image) 

Rental prices continue to remain high across Australia making it increasingly difficult for thousands of residents to keep a roof over their head. 

Sydney’s median weekly rent surged by 10.2 per cent in the year to April to $1,053.56, new SQM Research data revealed. 

Capital city house rents rose by 10.2 per cent in the year to April to $833 a week. 

Melbourne’s median house rent rose by 11.4 per cent to $740.50.

But in Perth, rents have soared by 16.9 per cent to $782 as Adelaide rents surged by 10 per cent to $630.

Brisbane house rents went up by a more modest 6.6 per cent to $717.

Canberra rents edged up only slightly by 0.8 per cent to $773. 

Rents, however, fell in Australia’s smallest capital cities, which aren’t receiving massive population growth from interstate or overseas migration. 

Hobart rents dropped by 0.3 per cent over the year to $537 as Darwin rents fell 0.5 per cent to $718.