Foreign students 'unfairly blamed' for Australia's dire rental market, claims ... trends now
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International students are not competing directly with families in the rental market as they typically prefer inner-city apartments over standalone homes in the suburbs, new research suggests.
Australian renters have experienced eye-watering rental increases over the past few years and stiff competition for available properties, with vacancy rates hovering around record lows.
Fingers have been pointed at international students returning after borders reopened.
Would-be renters queue outside a Sydney inspection as the nation continues to grapple with dire accommodation shortages
However, the property industry research challenged this narrative and said there were a range of pandemic-fuelled housing trends and long-term structural issues at play.
The study commissioned by the Student Accommodation Council found only three per cent of international students lived in detached houses, with the vast majority - 74 per cent - in accommodation purpose-built for the cohort close to universities.
Another eight per cent were living in apartments.
The research from the Property Council offshoot also found international students made up a small four per cent slice of the total rental market.
The push
