Discounted housing? Understanding shared rental markets under platformisation

Figures & data

Table 1. Forms of share housing in Australia.

Share housing type	Rental lease or agreement type	Property/ accommodation type	Landlord/ Household Type
Household managedShare household, with all members contributing equally to the weekly rent (or relative to the size & facilities of their room/space)	All tenants named on formal residential tenancy lease; or an informal arrangement established by one tenant named on the lease	Room or shared room in house or apartment	Property owner, typically via professional real estate agent; ‘group’ or ‘doubled up’ household
Head tenant managed:Head tenant collects rent from other residents of the house	Head tenant typically named on residential tenancy lease	Room or shared room in house or apartment	Head tenant (renting from the property owner/ real estate agent); ‘group household’
Landlord/Agent managed:Share home managed by an absent landlord or agent who rents rooms or share rooms to individual tenants	Formal (individual) residential tenancy lease or informal arrangement, pertaining to room or bed in shared room	Boarding house room; or room or shared room in house or apartment	Owner of the boarding house / property; Head lessee of the property; sometimes via a real estate agent; ‘borders’ or ‘lodgers’
Owner managed:Owner occupier rents space in their own home to tenant/s	Often informal, verbal agreement	Room in house / apartment	Owner occupier / ‘lodgers’

Source: the authors.

Table 2. Characteristics of people seeking share accommodation via Flatmates, August 2020.

Characteristics of people seeking share accommodation	Listings	% of total listings
Male	1350	44.0%
Female	1504	50.0%
Couples	148	5.0%
Groups	39	1.0%
People with children	35	1.0%
People with pets	484	16.0%
Age
16 to 20 years old	304	9%
21 to 30 years old	1963	61%
31 to 40 years old	651	20%
41 to 50 years old	180	6%
Over 50 years old	130	4%
Employment status
Full-time working	1815	60%
Students	956	31%

Source: Flatmates people’s listings data Aug 2020.

Table 3. Tenancy duration and weekly rent.

Tenancy duration	Requested tenancy duration, people’s listings		Offering tenancy duration, housing listings
	Listings	Percentage	Listings	Percentage
Up to 3 months	559	19%	1262	35%
4 to 6 months	1185	39%	764	21%
Up to 12 (6 to 12) months	1297	42%	564	16%
Flexible length of stay / not mentioned	0		980	28%
Total	3041	100%	3570	100%
Weekly rent	Nominated weekly rental budget, people’s listings		Asking weekly rental cost, housing listings
	Listings	Percentage	Listings	Percentage
up to $150	145	5%	186	5%
$151 to $300	1990	65%	2364	66%
$301 to $450	789	26%	817	23%
More than $450	117	4%	174	5%
Rent not mentioned	0	0%	29	1%
Total	3041	100%	3570	100%

Source: Flatmates accommodation and people’s listings Aug 2020.

Map 1. Shared housing demand by Suburbs.

Source: Flatmates people’s listings Aug 2020.

Map 2. Shared housing supply by Suburbs.

Source: Flatmates accommodation listings Aug 2020.

Table 4. Balance of share housing demand and supply in Sydney subregions.

Sub Region	Demand (people’s listings	Supply (accommodation listings)	Demand/ supply balance
City and Inner South	1248	1029	−219
Eastern Suburbs	488	580	92
Inner West	144	314	170
Inner South West	90	290	200
Parramatta	154	285	131
North Sydney and Hornsby	323	285	−38
Ryde	100	218	18
Northern Beaches	218	174	−44
Blacktown	42	102	60
Baulkham Hills and Hawkesbury	31	68	37
South West	42	57	15
Sutherland	72	52	−20
Outer South West	43	48	5
Outer West and Blue Mountains	46	41	−5
Total listings for Sydney	3041	3570	529

Source: Flatmates accommodation and people’s listings Aug 2020.

Table 5. Share housing relative to formal housing stock (top suburbs of shared housing demand vs supply Aug 2020).

Categories	Greater Sydney	Top suburbs in demand							Data source
		Surry Hills	Darlinghurst	Ultimo	Bondi Junction	North Sydney	Bronte	Manly
Housing stock –private dwellings	1855734	9217	6768	3654	4612	4389	2989	8442	ABS Census 2016
Rental housing stock - dwellings	553249	4642	3069	2045	1792	1997	907	3313	ABS Census 2016
Group households	76795	1123	578	808	411	242	191	620	ABS Census 2016
Shared housing demand	3041	211	170	124	111	77	68	85	Flatmates people’s listings
Shared housing supply	3570	91	45	44	35	17	11	44	Flatmates housing listings
Demand and supply balance	529	−120	−125	−80	−76	−60	−57	−41	Calculations
Formal rental housing supply - new leases	23857	408	408	130	188	197	76	170	Rental bonds data NSW Fair Trading Aug 2020
Shared housing supply relative to formal housing leases (%age)	15%	22%	11%	34%	19%	9%	14%	26%	Calculations
Shared housing supply relative to rental dwellings (%age)	1%	2%	1%	2%	2%	1%	1%	1%	Calculations
Median rental budget – shared housing	280	280	300	250	300	300	338	300	Flatmates people’s listings
Median rental cost – shared housing ($Aus)	260	270	250	220	295	285	330	360	Flatmates housing listings
Median rental cost –formal housing (one bedroom properties) $Aus	420	460	460	450	575	480	513	575	Rent and sales report July-Sep quarter 2020
Shared housing rents relative to formal housing (%age)	62%	59%	54%	49%	51%	59%	64%	63%	Calculation
Rental vacancies	25828	572	572	243	170	288	46	80	SQM research – Aug 2020
Shared housing supply relative to rental vacancies (%age)	14%	16%	8%	18%	21%	6%	24%	55%	Calculations

Map 3. Shared housing rental cost.

Source: Flatmates accommodation listings Aug 2020.

Map 4. Formal housing rental cost.

Source: Rental bonds data (up to one bedroom properties) Aug 2020.

ABS (2016) Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 3 – Non ABS Structures, July 2016. Available at http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/1270.0.55.003July%202016?OpenDocument (accessed 02 May 2017).

 Google Scholar

NSW Fair Trading (2020) Rental Bonds Data, 2020, NSW Government. Available at https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/about-fair-trading/rental-bond-data (accessed 20 Sep 2020).

 Google Scholar