Gold Coast family of five forced to share single motel room amid rental crisis
A Gold Coast family of five forced to share a single motel room amid Australia's growing rental crisis says they're facing "one of the hardest" moments of their life.
Alexi Bennett and her children have been rejected from rentals more than 200 times after their previous landlord didn't resign their lease.
It's been three months since the family have lived comfortably and Bennett said she struggles daily with guilt.
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The family of five were forced to seek alternative accommodation after their landlord refused to resign their lease. Supplied
It's been three months since the family have lived comfortable, with Alexi Bennett admitting there's not a lot of options left for them. Supplied
It's costing the family $850 a week to share the single room amid a lack of available rental properties.
"You're supposed to be providing for your children and, when you can't, the guilt - it really hits, it really hits hard to be honest," she told Today, holding her six-week-old baby.
"It's meant to be the happiest time of your life and, you know, at this point in time it's one of the hardest and yeah, pretty sad, to be honest."
Bennett said there's "not many options" left for her family.
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Alexi Bennett said she hasn't been provided with reasons as to why her rental applications are being rejected. Today
"The competition is crazy at the moment," she said.
"I've got to do what's best for my kids and, yeah, this is it at the moment.
"You just got to stay positive and hope for the best and just keep trying, every day is a new day.
"That is all I can keep telling myself and just stay positive."
This week, major real estate agency Ray White broke down renting costs, and showed there's a mismatch between inflationary rental price rises compared to advertised ones, which were much more "aggressive".
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Renters are facing two pressures: advertised rents are 'aggressive' and there's a lack of properties on the market. Domain: Peter Rae
The inflation rental price has increased 1.6 per cent, Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee said in the report.
But advertised rents are reflecting a 13.6 per cent price increase.
The report also showed a substantial decrease in listings for both metro and regional addresses between 2018 and 2022.
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