APOA Landlord Community Newsletter | 2026 Week 34: Will Rents Rise 30%? Is a Painting Job Worth $850 or $5,000?
Will Rents Rise 30%? Is a Painting Job Worth $850 or $5,000?
Several of this week’s most popular discussions returned to the same question:
Landlord finances are becoming harder to calculate.
How much can rent rise? What is a reasonable repair price? If a property has been listed for six months without selling, is it considered vacant? How can an older property’s construction cost be estimated?
The week’s most dramatic story began with an ordinary painting job.
🏠 This Week’s Story: One Painting Job, Four Quotes
Kun shared a recent case involving a rental property that needed repainting after the renter moved out. The renter agreed to cover the work but could not find a painter, so the landlord’s side helped obtain quotes.
Four painters inspected the same job. Their quotes were:
$5,000, $4,000, $1,850 and $1,700.
The highest quote was almost three times the lowest.
Former renter Peter contacted the painter who quoted $1,700. Because of a communication mix-up, however, the painter who quoted $1,850 believed he had been given the job, painted the walls first and issued an invoice.
Peter did not see the invoice. The next day, the $1,700 painter arrived—and painted the property again.
The same property was painted twice by two different crews. Peter was unlikely to pay two full invoices, so Kun helped mediate. The two painters ultimately agreed to accept $850 each.
Kun then asked the week’s most memorable question:
“Does that mean the real price range for this job was $850 to $5,000?”
The group’s first reaction was disbelief at the $4,000 and $5,000 quotes. Members then discussed how working methods and scope can affect pricing, how practical skills can help owners control costs, and why it is useful to obtain several quotes for the same job.
One member described similarly varied roofing quotes and a job involving cleaning, repairs and three coats of paint for under $5,000.
Property repairs do not have one universal price list, but this story offered a simple lesson:
If the work is not urgent, ask several providers.
Especially when $5,000 and $1,700 appear for the same job.
📈 Will Rents Really Rise 30%?
As repair costs rose, discussion naturally turned to rent increases and longer leases.
After looking at Victorian rules, one member shared that there may not be a fixed percentage cap, but an increase still needs to be reasonable rather than excessive. If renters believe an increase is substantially above the local market, they may seek a rent assessment through Consumer Affairs Victoria and pursue the relevant dispute process.
The member’s conclusion was that a 30% increase would be difficult to justify.
The groups also discussed a proposal that landlords should offer leases of at least two years. Kun argued that a longer lease does not remove future cost pressure. If landlords expect costs to rise, they may instead consider those expectations when setting the initial rent.
The next day, someone asked whether members had recently increased rent. One said they had raised it by 4%. Others felt the rental market had become slower than it was earlier in the year, with one member suggesting that renters with more financial capacity were buying homes.
On 21 August, Kun released a video titled:
“Will Australian rents surge 30%? A crackdown on rent gouging?”
Lucy responded:
“That is right. There is no simple solution, nobody wins, and it becomes a vicious cycle.”
Renters see rising rents. Landlords see changing interest costs, land tax, council rates, insurance, repairs and labour. Everyone is left asking:
Who ultimately carries the cost?
🏚️ If a Property Has Been Listed for Six Months, Is Vacant Property Tax Payable?
A member called “天” asked Kun whether a home listed for sale but unsold for more than six months could attract vacant property tax.
Based on her understanding of the policy, 卿卿iris replied that the rule operates by calendar year rather than financial year and referred to occupancy for six months within that calendar year.
“天” replied that it felt unreasonable.
This was a discussion between community members about a particular situation, not tax advice.
Vacant-property tax rules can depend on location, actual use, exemptions and the rules applying in the relevant year. Anyone facing a similar situation should confirm the current official requirements rather than relying only on group experience.
🔧 Leaking Fridges, Sinks, Roofs and Bathrooms: the Landlord Groups Keep Helping
Policy questions can be large, but the problems landlords meet each day are often very specific.
One member asked for help with a leaking fridge. 老徐 suggested that the drain might be blocked and recommended allowing the fridge to return to room temperature before clearing the drain.
Another member asked who could replace a sink. Kun said a handyman could usually do the job, and members began recommending tradespeople they knew. When someone else planned a bathroom renovation, the group quickly connected them with a community member working in interior and exterior renovations.
This has become one of the APOA landlord groups’ most reliable forms of infrastructure:
When something breaks, ask the group first.
Sometimes a plumber is needed, sometimes a roofer, and sometimes a handyman is enough. At least there is no need to begin with the $5,000 quote. 😂
📊 How Do You Estimate the Construction Cost of an Older Property?
Last week, someone asked for a reliable Quantity Surveyor who could estimate the construction cost of an older property.
This week, Hongli Guo 郭洪莉 shared her previous experience. She suggested calling first to explain the property’s basic details, after which the provider may be able to give an indicative estimate and budget.
She recalled paying around $500 after receiving a referral discount. She also believed the fee had some tax treatment, but could no longer remember the details.
The price was one member’s personal experience. Depreciation, valuation and whether a fee is deductible should be confirmed with a Quantity Surveyor or accountant for the individual property.
The exchange still demonstrated something valuable. Often the first thing a landlord needs is not a long theoretical article, but a simple question:
“Who has done this before?”
Then someone with experience can answer:
“I have. This is what happened.”
That is how community knowledge accumulates.
🌕 Mid-Autumn Gathering: Someone Is Already Writing Music for It
The APOA Mid-Autumn Gathering and 2026 Annual Meeting remains in preparation.
By the time of publication, more than 150 people had registered, and a Liberal Party MP had confirmed attendance.
Only a limited number of places remain, so anyone who has not yet registered is encouraged to book soon.
The event has not begun, but members are already contributing performances. Jason composed a piece especially for the landlord community’s Mid-Autumn gathering. Kun shared it with the group, describing it as warm and beautiful. After watching, apple replied:
“So talented.”
What began as an event-registration page is gradually becoming a community occasion shaped by registrations, volunteers, performances and members’ own music.
We look forward to meeting offline this Mid-Autumn Festival.
- 📅 Sunday, 27 September 2026
- ⏰ 1:30–4:30 pm
- 📍 Doncaster Bowling Club
- 🎟️ Free entry · Advance registration required
- 🎁 PLUS+ members will also receive a special-value gift pack
👉 Register here:
https://apoa.org.au/zh/events/mid-autumn-2026/
☕ That Was Our Week 34
This week we discussed whether rents could rise by 30%, two-year leases and vacant-property tax.
Then we returned to landlords’ most practical questions: how to deal with a leaking fridge, who can replace a sink, how much a bathroom renovation should cost, why roofing quotes vary so widely—and why the same painting job can be quoted at $1,700 by one person and $5,000 by another.
The landlord groups do not have a standard answer for everything. But someone has often just experienced what another person is facing now.
Someone asks and someone answers. Someone who has fallen into a trap tells the next person where it is. Then, before long, someone is writing music for the Mid-Autumn gathering.
That was our Week 34.
📢 About This Newsletter
This newsletter was compiled from public discussions in APOA’s landlord community during the week, with AI-assisted editing. It records community experience and members’ views and does not represent APOA’s official position.
It is not legal, tax, financial or investment advice.
Designed with ❤️ by APOA Volunteers, powered by AI.