Greens candidate for Nepean, Dr Sianan Healy, has called for fairer rental rules ahead of this Saturday's Nepean by‑election, warning that the rental crisis on the Mornington Peninsula is forcing people to choose between staying in their community and being able to afford a secure home.
With rents surging while wages flatline, she says long‑term locals, single parents, older residents and young workers are increasingly being pushed out of the area.
"Everyone deserves a stable home, but too many people are living with constant anxiety about the next rent increase," Dr Healy said.
"People tell me they're cutting back on food and medical care, or moving away from work, family and support networks just to keep a roof over their heads."
"I live alone and my rent has gone up by $55 in the past year. I'm in a 50-year-old apartment that's never been repainted, with ancient appliances - I feel like I have one foot in the crack," said one Dromana renter in her 70s.
Dr Healy said the crisis was changing the character of the Peninsula.
"When rents jump hundreds of dollars a month, we don't just lose housing security, we lose neighbours, volunteers and the sense that this is a place you can build a life," she said.
Greens' plan to rein in rents
Under the Greens' plan, there would be:
- A two‑year freeze on rent increases to let wages catch up.
- A permanent cap on rent rises, limited to the wage price index or CPI, whichever is lower.
- Stronger protections so renters can stay in their homes and communities without fear of unaffordable rent hikes.
"Right now, there are effectively no limits on how much rents can rise, even in the middle of a cost‑of‑living crisis," Dr Healy said.
"That might suit investors, but it doesn't work for the nurse renting in Rye, the hospitality worker in Sorrento or the older renter in Rosebud on a fixed income."
"The Greens' proposed rent controls are about putting people and communities ahead of unlimited profits and giving renters the stability they need to plan for the future."
New Greens rent calculator
Dr Healy encouraged local renters to see what rent controls could mean for them using the Victorian Greens' new rent calculator at greensrentcalculator.com.
The tool shows how much renters could have saved over the past five years if rent increases had been frozen and then capped in line with wages and the cost of living.
"When people see in black and white how much they could have saved, it becomes clear this crisis isn't inevitable, it's the result of political choices," she said.
"This Saturday, voters in Nepean have the chance to send a clear message that enough is enough and that renters deserve real protections."
