Rental crisis: Perth’s record low rental vacancy rate is pushing tenants out further to Mandurah

Perth’s record low rental vacancy rate is pushing tenants out to Mandurah, forcing many workers into a one-hour commute to the city. Mandurah topped the list of the most viewed regions for rental properties over the winter months with 10,589 visits on reiwa.com, according to the Real Estate Institute of WA. The second most searched area was Ellenbrook, with 5922 views. Long-term Mandurah resident Tameika Kinsella drives one hour to get to her workplace in Canning Vale because she can not secure a rental property in Perth, where the vacancy rate remains at the record low of 1 per cent. “Mandurah is a great place to live but there are no jobs there,” she said. “We have tried so many times to get a rental in Perth but there is so much competition for every home.” The long commute highlights the impact of Perth’s chronic property undersupply. Ms Kinsella said her partner also worked in Canning Vale, but they could not make the daily journey together because of their staggered start times. Nor could they take advantage of the Perth to Mandurah rail line, because it does not serve Canning Vale. Ms Kinsella said the rental market in both areas was “crazy”. Although the Mandurah median rent is relatively low at $390 a week, it has jumped 22 per cent in the 12 months to August. That was well above the 16 per cent rental increase in Perth over the same period. Real estate agent Candice Di Prinzio from Di Prinzio Properties said many long-term Mandurah renters were also struggling to keep a roof over their heads. She said it was partly because of a renewed interest in Mandurah property, where the median sale price was a relatively low $292,000 after a 20 per cent price rise over the past year. But the sudden surge in sales had forced out many renters from their long-term rentals when the property changed hands. REIWA president Damian Collins said Mandurah, like the rest of WA, was experiencing high demand and low stock levels. Mr Collins said the rebound was welcome after a severe downturn in 2015 to 2019 when properties often sold below replacement value. “People are now reassessing work habits and are considering areas further out such as Mandurah, which has train access to the CBD,” he said. “While this work/lifestyle shift has been relatively small so far, I expect that we will see more and more people choose to live in a location that provides them with a great lifestyle, rather than focus on proximity to work as a main decision driver. “Given the great lifestyle the Peel region offers and its excellent road and rail infrastructure, after many years of underperformance, I anticipate the Mandurah region to be an out-performer over the next decade.”