The Elephant in the Room
The property podcast for the thinking person.

Episodes

Episode 311: Is Your Empty Room a Solution to Australia’s Rental Crisis?

Is your empty room a solution to Australia’s rental crisis? Currently, Australia faces the challenge of a staggering 13.5 million spare bedrooms lying unused. Today, we delve deep into the exploration of whether these neglected spaces could hold the key to alleviating the country's housing crisis.

Joining us is Ludwina Dautovic, the visionary behind The Room Xchange, a groundbreaking house-sharing platform. She's here to shed light on the potential impact of harnessing these overlooked resources and how it might reshape the housing landscape. Are we on the cusp of not only witnessing a resurgence in shared housing but an entirely new demographic embracing this alternative lifestyle?

It's important to consider, however, that as this idea gains traction, so does a wave of concerns. Is inviting a stranger into your home a risk worth taking? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that delves into whether your vacant room could emerge as the unexpected solution to Australia's rental crisis.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 - Introduction

01:20 - Who is Ludwina Dautovic?

04:45 - Have there been notable shifts in housing preferences since the pandemic started?

07:46 - How does the rental offset option provide a unique solution?

12:18 - Should the government look at changing tax laws around house sharing?

15:12 - Is renting out rooms seen as a real solution to the housing problem?

18:18 - What are the odds of successful house sharing for someone in their 40s or 50s?

24:00 - House sharing is now considered the third option in real estate

28:01 - Are financial considerations impacting the decision to maintain a dedicated home office?

30:02 - What legal agreements exist to protect both homeowner and house sharer?

33:39 - What is the most common bone of contention in shared housing arrangements?

37:31 - How do changes in interest rates affect inquiries on your shared housing platform?

42:49 - What could be the biggest challenge for homeowners considering house sharing?

47:52 - Ludwina Dautovic’s property dumbo

About Our Guest:

Ludwina Dautovic is the CEO and Founder of The Room Xchange, Australia's first and only verified house-sharing platform. There are over 13.5m unused spare bedrooms in 10m homes across Australia. It's existing housing stock, that if accessed, could help ease our housing crisis. The Room Xchange provides Digital ID verification, profile matching and rental options so homeowners feel confident in the house-sharing process. With continual interest rate hikes and inflation on the rise, a spare room can yield $10K + a year. It can help relieve mortgage stress and provide affordable rental options for those priced out of the rental market. 

Connect with Ludwina Dautovic:

Resources:

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Chris Bates