Getting into a tizz about who is responsible for what at a rental property is a headache no one needs – and one many landlords and tenants experience. Misunderstandings about responsibilities for tasks around the property – from gardening to appliance repairs – are commonplace. If you’re wondering why a landlord insurance provider is talking…
With the nation feeling the pressures of a housing crisis, some believe the Australian government needs to ease housing demand by limiting international migration. To others, this sentiment comes across as xenophobic. They dismiss it outright, based on moral grounds. How can a nation of settlers, built on unceded Indigenous land, contemplate the notion of…
It probably won’t come as a great revelation, but insurance can be complex. Like other financial products and legal contracts, there can be a lot to wrap your head around. This complexity can result in some misunderstandings. When it comes to protecting your investment property, you don’t want to have any misconceptions derailing your decisions….
The housing crisis is firmly on the Australian policy agenda. Governments see a rapid increase in supply as the main solution. The importance of supply is not disputed. But more housing alone isn’t enough: new housing must be provided in ways that do not widen the gap between the “haves and the have-nots”. Our recent…
The family-friendly apartment is an idea whose time has come. In the Liverpool CBD in Sydney, for example, half the apartments are occupied by families with children, our newly published study found. This is twice the average for metropolitan Sydney. The high proportion of families living in apartments in town centres like Liverpool is often…
Why do I suddenly owe tax this year? This is one of the most Googled questions in Australia right now. And rightly so. Ever since Australia’s transition to self-assessment for income tax returns, we have been primed to expect an annual refund. That’s by design. Thinking we will get a refund acts as an incentive…
The Victorian government, like many governments around the world, has announced new regulations on short-stay accommodation. The government says Victoria has more than 36,000 short-stay places, which is reducing the number of homes available for long-term rental. Other states have capped the number of nights a dwelling can be used for short-stay accommodation. The Victorian…
If the Reserve Bank does push up interest rates again, the most likely next date is its next board meeting, on Melbourne Cup Tuesday. The November 7 meeting is especially important because it is one of four each year in which the board has the full set of quarterly staff forecasts before it, as well…
Do you remember learning to drive a car? You probably fumbled around for the controls, checked every mirror multiple times, made sure your foot was on the brake pedal, and then ever-so-slowly rolled your car forward. Fast forward to now and you’re probably driving places and thinking, “How did I even get here? I don’t…
By the end of 2023, the world economy is expected to have a gross domestic product (GDP) of $105 trillion, or $5 trillion higher than the year before, according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections from its 2023 World Economic Outlook report. In nominal terms, that’s a 5.3% increase in global GDP. In inflation-adjusted terms,…
