Latest news with #rent
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Landlords Say They Don't Make Enough Money. Is That Really True?
Good morning. It's Friday. Today we'll look at why landlords say they're struggling, even though rents have gone up over time. We'll also look at an effort to make sure that everyone in New York is counted in the next census five years from now. It's a New York conundrum: Tenants complain that higher rents make the city impossible, while landlords complain that higher operating costs also make the city impossible. The Rent Guidelines Board, which has the power to raise rents for tenants in nearly a million rent‐stabilized units, could soon raise them on some of the city's most affordable apartments. The board voted 5 to 4 in April to support increases of between 1.75 and 4.75 percent on one-year leases and 4.75 and 7.75 percent on two-year leases. That vote was only preliminary. A final vote is scheduled for the end of the month. Still, some landlords say the financial picture is so bad that it reminds them of the 1970s, when owners abandoned thousands of buildings in low-income neighborhoods. I discussed the different perspectives with Mihir Zaveri, who covers housing in New York. Are landlords really hurting? They say they don't make enough money from rent to run their buildings, even though the Rent Guidelines Board has allowed rent increases of nearly 17 percent since 2014. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes slammed over high asking price for Sydney rental property: 'There goes 93 per cent of my salary'
Miriam Margolyes has been slammed by fans over the asking price to rent her Sydney property. The Harry Potter star, 84, is trying to lease her two bedroom property in Bondi, and took to Facebook this week to drum up interest. 'Rush to rent this gorgeous Bondi property,' she captioned a post advertising the property listing. However, some fans were less than impressed with the asking price of $1,300 per week for the semi-detached house. 'Oh Miriam! $1300 for a two bedder with no car space is unfortunately not affordable for most of the population,' one follower wrote. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Another chimed in with: 'Lovely, but very expensive,' while a third offered a similar: 'There goes 93.75% of my salary', while one quipped: 'Will you take a Pez and a smile?' A fourth added a simple: '1300 a WEEK. Nope.' According to Miriam's asking price sits just above the average, with the median rent for a two-bedroom house in Bondi currently sitting at $1,245 per week. Miriam first listed the property on May 23, with the promise of 'timeless character and elegant period features'. The compact home offers timber floorboards throughout, a separate laundry room as well as a private rear courtyard. The Daily Telegraph reported that Miriam picked up the property back in 1984 for just $93,000. Miriam, who became an Australian citizen in 2013, also has a stunning home in the NSW Southern Highlands with her partner of 57 years, Heather Sutherland. Dividing her time between the idyllic rainforest retreat, Yarrawa Hill, and Clapham in South London, Miriam also rents out her tranquil escape for $500 per night for two people. It comes after Miriam took a swipe at her adopted home and revealed the few things she dislikes about Australia on The Kyle and Jackie O Show back in January. 'I love Australia, I think it's a fabulous country. I think it's going a bit wonky at the moment, like the rest of the world,' she shared. 'But no, I do care about it. And I am an Australian citizen. I became a citizen because my partner is Australian, and I wanted to be ever closer to Australia.' 'But now I think my allegiance has slipped slightly and gone to New Zealand.' Miriam also revealed the one thing she doesn't like about Australia, saying that the manners are 'f**king terrible'. Miriam and her Australian partner Heather first met in 1967 while working together on a BBC radio drama after the actor graduated from her studies at the University of Cambridge. They have been together ever since and Miriam gushed over their partnership in her 2021 autobiography, This Much Is True. 'We have been together for 53 years. It is a big achievement,' she penned at the time. 'An academic and a scholar, Heather is my polar opposite: reticent, incredibly private and reserved.' Heather is an Australian historian and former professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Back in 2023, Miriam also revealed the secret to the couple's 57-year relationship during an appearance on The Project. 'I just think you must tell the truth, never let the sun set on a quarrel, listen to the other person, and don't look for - don't gamble with your happiness,' she said. 'I think adultery is nonsense. I think it wastes time. Cherish what you have,' the Babe star went on. 'And if it really isn't working, talk about it. But do it with kindness. That's all I can say.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Renters and politicians in pressure zone as housing Bill to be signed into law
On the day that this Government's first landmark housing Bill is expected to be signed into law, it appears that it's tenants and politicians, rather than high rents, that are in the pressure zone. Reform of rent pressure zones (RPZs) has been the political story of the week. Legislation to extend RPZs to the entire country passed the Dáil yesterday and is due to be rushed through the Seanad today. If President Michael D Higgins signs the legislation immediately, we would all be waking up tomorrow in an almost all-island RPZ. Minister for Housing James Browne may be feeling a little beleaguered having spent the week mounting a gallant defence of his RPZ reforms from attacks from the Opposition, doctors, students, protesters and AirBnB owners. So he will not thank the Central Bank for its assessment of the impact of RPZs, which it says will be 'painful' for renters. In our lead story today, Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports from the launch of the Central Bank's quarterly bulletin where the bank's director of economics and statistics was asked about the reforms. READ MORE Any delight the Government may feel about Robert Kelly's assessment that the reforms will increase supply will be blunted by the Central Bank downgrading its forecasts for new home completions in the near term. Under the Government's proposals, any pain will have to come before the gain. Even in the best case scenario, it's almost certain that many tenants will see their rents rocket to high market rates long before any new apartments are built. And the Government won't have much time to catch its breath between one high profile political issue and another. My colleague Jack Horgan-Jones was reporting last night that, in advance of some version of the Occupied Territories Bill going to Cabinet next week, it's expected that the proposed law will not include services. The Government benches will likely spend next week in defence mode again, due to the extremely high profile nature of the OTB and the significant public interest in it. Opposition smells blood in the water over RPZ changes Listen | 35:51 Health Representatives of Children's Health Ireland are due to appear before politicians on the health committee this morning, to answer questions about how children with dysplasia and scoliosis have been treated at Ireland's paediatric hospitals. New chief executive Lucy Nugent will be under pressure to get a conciliatory tone right, as TDs and senators are already extremely suspicious of what they perceive as a toxic culture that is embedded within CHI. Meanwhile, another health issue continues to dominate the political agenda. Following his appearance before the same health committee yesterday, Minister of State for older people Kieran O'Donnell said that the Department of Health has commissioned a report on the effect that mass privatisation of the nursing home sector has had on the standards of care offered to older and more vulnerable people. As Shauna Bowers and Marie O'Halloran are reporting today, this follows a programme by RTÉ Investigates that highlighted instances of alleged abuse at Beneavin Manor, Dublin, and The Residence, Portlaoise. Both homes are run by Emeis, the largest provider of private nursing home beds in the State. It comes after the Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that the 'nuclear option' of closing a nursing home for significant failings 'has to be on the table'. He said it was up to the HSE and others 'to resolve the consequential crisis that occurs when a decision to close is made. But we shouldn't baulk from that decision because of that.' The Taoiseach said he had 'no issue' with larger fines for repeated failures but stressed closure had to be an option. Middle East It would be easy to keep an insular focus on our own domestic affairs, while ominous reports of the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran continue to threaten the front pages . As well as comprehensive coverage in our World News section of the crisis – including Michael Jansen's analysis of how Iran's regional allies cannot help, and the Iranian TV anchor who has become a national symbol of resistance after being bombed while live on air – Sally Hayden has a report on the cryptic clues from US president Donald Trump about the US possibly intervening on behalf of Israel. 'I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this: that Iran's got a lot of trouble.' It comes as we wake up to reports from the other side of the Atlantic that Trump has approved plans to attack Iran , but according to CBS has not yet made a final decision on whether to strike the Middle Eastern nuclear power. Best reads Miriam Lord is writing about the righteous anguish of the Taoiseach, who is aggrieved at how many interruptions he's enduring in the Dail.Dáil can't get my points across because of this constant pressure.' Mark Paul takes us inside the feverish melee at Westminster Magistrates Court, where Kneecap 's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh got the rockstar treatment at his hearing on Wednesday. Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was charged under UK antiterrorism legislation with showing support for a proscribed organisation. Newton Emerson writes in his column today about how he turned to YouTuber 'FreedomDad73′ for live coverage of the Ballymena riots, and what that means about media coverage in Northern Ireland and more broadly. Dáil schedule 8.47am Oral questions to Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke 10.24am Oral questions to Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary 12.00pm Leaders' Questions 12.34pm Other Members' Questions 12.42pm Questions on policy or legislation 1.52pm Government Business is second stage of the Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025, which is a bill about royalty payments designed to bring Ireland in line with an EU Copyright Directive 5.26pm Topical issues 6.26pm Private Members' Bill, which is second stage of Sinn Féin's Healthcare (Transparent Payments) Bill 2022 – a bill which would require healthcare workers to declare gifts and payments that they receive. In the Seanad 9.30am Commencement matters 10.30am Order of Business 11.45am Government business, which is devoted to passing all stages of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 – making the entire country a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) ... 1.45pm ... followed by a motion without debate allowing the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 to be signed into law quickly 2.00pm Government business is committee stage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024 Oireachtas committtes Today's Oireachtas committee meetings include an high profile appearance of CHI before the health committee and scrutiny of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025, legislation to unravel the triple lock, before the Joint Committee on Defence and National Security. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is busy with a number of C & AG reports, including one on the Department of Housing's decision to grant exceptional funding to the Peter McVerry Trust. The Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community will consider the current funding strategy for Traveller-specific accommodation. You can read the full schedule here
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Homes turned into ‘financial assets', hundreds of housing protesters told
Homes have been turned into financial assets and young renters into an income stream, hundreds of housing protesters in Dublin were told. People gathered outside Leinster House on Tuesday for a 'Raise the Roof' rally, where five opposition TDs addressed the crowd. Advertisement It comes after the Government announced rent reforms plans that the opposition has criticised as it will increase rent costs. People gather outside Leinster House, Dublin, during a Raise the Roof protest (Niall Carson/PA) The Government has said its plans will provide new protections for renters and also attract private investment in housing, which will boost supply and moderate housing costs. At the rally on Tuesday evening, opposition politicians criticised the Government's 'terrible' housing plan and urged people to take to the streets to protest against them. Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne said that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had turned homes 'into a financial asset'. Advertisement 'Our younger generations have been turned by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael into an asset class of institutional investors who see them as an income stream that will pay their wages, their incomes, their wealth, into the future.' In what drew applause from the crowd, Mr Hearne added: 'The Government talks a lot about blockages to housing and barriers to housing. The biggest barrier and blockage to housing in this country is behind us, and it's called Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.' Musicians including Lisa O'Neill also performed at the demonstration, which could be heard from within the halls of Leinster House. Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne addresses the crowd outside Leinster House in Dublin during a Raise the Roof protest (Niall Carson/PA) Many party political flags were visible at the protest, and there were some handmade signs with slogans such as 'rent is too damn high' and 'dereliction is a social crime'. Advertisement Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the Government's instincts on housing were 'wrong' and so unions, civil society groups and opposition parties had to 'step up to the mark'. 'All of us need to stand up, but so do you. We need you to back us now, because this Government must be faced down. 'Our renters cannot be, again, put to the pin of their collar and screwed because the Government wants to lick the boots of cuckoo and vulture and big investment funds. 'Our message today to Micheál Martin and Simon Harris is: lads, the game is up. The people are at the gate.' Advertisement Labour leader Ivana Bacik accused the Government of U-turns and 'terrible' housing policies. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald addresses the crowd outside Leinster House in Dublin during a Raise the Roof protest (Niall Carson/PA) 'They propose to expand Rent Pressure Zones across the country, but they're hollowing them out. 'Instead of delivering lower rents and greater security for tenants, what we're seeing instead is renters pitched into fear and uncertainty.' She said that Mr Martin and Fianna Fáil 'laugh' at Labour's call for a state construction company. Advertisement 'Well they should learn their history, because the last time we built social and affordable homes at scale in this country, it was done through a Fianna Fáil national building agency, an agency that had state backing and that could deliver at the scale that's needed.' People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who recently flew back to Ireland after being detained in Egypt as he tried to travel to Gaza, said that rising rents had become government policy. 'We cannot wait 'til the next election. We cannot wait for over 20,000 people to be homeless, and that's where we'll be by the next election if things keep going. 'We can't wait for average rent in Dublin to go well beyond 3,000 euros a month. We can't wait while house prices continue to rise at a record rate. We have to stop them now with protests like this.' People gather outside Leinster House, Dublin, during a Raise the Roof protest (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Murphy encouraged thousands of people to join a Community Action Tenants Union (Catu) protest in Dublin on Saturday July 5th, and said there should be a 'massive' protest in the run up to the Budget in the autumn. The protest was held to coincide with a motion in the Dáil on housing and homelessness, which calls for the introduction of a no-fault eviction ban and greater use of compulsory purchase orders to 'bring empty homes back into use'. Speaking in the Dáil after attending the protest, Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin said 'several thousand people' had gathered outside. The Housing Minister James Browne, when moving to amend the motion, said that the opposition was good at 'personalising' the debate but had offered 'no solutions'.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Affordable' Bondi Junction apartment listed for $1100 a week
An 'affordable' Sydney apartment that is part of a state government housing scheme has been listed to rent for $1100 a week. To be eligible to rent the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Bondi Junction, a couple cannot be earning more than $121,000 combined. A couple earning the maximum allowed income would be paying 47 per cent of their salary on rent. The apartment is leased by HomeGround Real Estate Sydney as part of the NSW government's affordable housing scheme. Following a report in The Guardian on Tuesday, the listing price was reduced to $1040 a week and then $1000. A HomeGround spokeswoman said the price reduction was because of winter. 'Initially, we advertised the property with a market rent set at $1100 per week. However, as market conditions fluctuate weekly, especially in the Bondi area, we have adjusted the asking price to $1000 per week as we transition into the winter market.' Renters advocate Jordan van den Lamb said anyone who could pay $1000 a week rent – and still earn less than the income threshold – could not afford food, bills and medicine as well. 'It's nuts,' he told NewsWire. 'The guidelines make affordable housing by definition unaffordable … pretty Orwellian if you think about it.' 'The idea that we would spend billions of taxpayer money to subsidise private landlords to offer something that is tied to an already unaffordable market as the solution to a housing crisis, it's just not going to work and this is what all the experts have been saying.' Mr van den Lamb has risen to prominence online speaking about the state of housing in Australia and unsuccessfully contested a Senate seat for the Victorian Socialists at the federal election. He said the non-profit HomeGround agency had a relatively good reputation. 'These are the good ones … I've got nothing wrong with them,' he said of HomeGround. 'It's the private landlord that's being subsidised by the government and incentivised to do this. That is the problem.' In NSW, 'affordable' properties must be rented out at 20 per cent below the market rent, but the state government rules say 'flexibility in pricing may be applied to moderate income households'.
