Southerners on a sea change are moving to the Whitsundays in droves, buying up houses and, as a result, rentals are either scarce or the prices are skyrocketing, leaving many Airlie Beach locals struggling to find suitable accommodation.
Three of Emma De-Lisle’s six years in Airlie Beach were spent in the same rental apartment in Cannonvale until six months ago when the property sold.
She looked for housing for almost five months, finding either that the choices were well out of her budget, or that the homes were “almost derelict.”
The housing situation in the Whitsundays had Emma looking at the prospect of sleeping in her car with her two daughters aged 18 months and four years.
Emma received the notice to leave on the December 23 and was given eight weeks to vacate.
“I had applied for, I don’t know how many properties and most of them were run down and they still wanted $420 a week,” Emma said.
“Even then, I wasn’t getting any responses from agents or anyone.”
Emma said she thinks that out of towners were coming and offering well over and above, or paying six months in advance, which she said she’s not in the position to do.
“I was just being priced right out,” she said.
In desperation, she took to Facebook in a last-ditch effort to find a place for her and her two daughters and the community soon took charge.
“I posted and Ben and Shannon reached out and said they might be able to help me out,” Emma said.
The couple offered Emma and her daughters suitable accommodation and she is due to move in this month.
“I can’t thank the community enough – that’s just what the community up here is all about – I had so many people come out and offer me things after that post.”
Airlie Beach has lost a significant number of its rental properties to purchases, creating a tight rental market.
Natalie Stuchbree, Senior Property Manager of Taylors Property Specialists said that many people in the area have been struggling to find rentals and that with the price of properties going up over the last two years, especially over the last 12 months, it has been a challenging time for many residents.
“Usually, what we would see is the number of rental properties increase, but they’re maintaining somewhat of a status quo,” she said.
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