For Woodridge-based pensioner John Peterson, finding a rental was pure luck.
“I got lucky because I knew a guy who was looking for someone to move in,” Mr Peterson said.
But finding a home isn’t the only obstacle, the costs of continued renting are skyrocketing.
Mr Peterson, for example, is forking out 50 per cent of his pension on rent alone.
And data shows the pain is widespread, with a new report claiming rental conditions in Woodridge are some of the worst in the country.
Mr Peterson said his rent consumed a large portion of his income, but it wasn’t as severe as what it could be.
“I feel sorry for the other poor buggers out there – it’s just a joke at the moment,” he said.
“Rentals are getting out of hand.
“Landlords are money-grabbers who prey on those who have to pay.”
Mr Peterson recently took up work at a local café to earn some extra cash.
“As a pensioner, I’m glad the federal government has come out and said I can earn extra before they rip up my pension,” he said.
“That extra bit of money really helps.”
Mr Peterson isn’t the only Logan resident feeling the strain of burdening rent.
In a new report from Suburbtrends, Woodridge has been named as having one of the worst rental conditions in the country, while suburbs like Logan Central, Slacks Creek, Browns Plains and Yarrabilba have some of the worst in the state.
The lists were compiled using a “rental pain index” based on suburb data like rental increases, affordability and vacancy rates, and then scored on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 signifying the worst conditions for renters.
Woodridge was named the 14 worst in the country with a rental pain index of 99.
It has a vacancy rate of 0.42 per cent (a -0.35 per cent change in three months) and an affordability rating of 38, which is the percentage of household income allocated to rent.
This means Woodridge residents are spending almost 40 per cent of their income on rent.
The report deemed anything over 34 per cent “unaffordable”.
Even though he’s paying more than the average, Mr Peterson remained grateful.
“It is probably too much for a normal guy on a pension to pay, but I’m lucky to have a roof over my head,” he said.
“There are a lot of people out there in a worse position than I’m in.”
Logan Central was named the second worst in the state with a pain index of 96, a vacancy rate of 0.63 per cent and an affordability rating of 38.
Slacks Creek, Browns Plains and Yarrabilba have rental pain scores of 95, 94 and 94 respectively.
