A study on rental properties around the state has shown the South Coast is heavily over-represented among suburbs crying out for more affordable rental properties.
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RentRabbit.com.au's Rental Crisis Report ranked the top 20 markets in NSW that are "desperate for more stock", and eight towns and suburbs along the South Coast featured in the rankings.
Batemans Bay was ranked first, with a vacancy rate of zero per cent as of March 2022, down from 1.7 per cent 12 months ago.
Vacancy rate is calculated by the amount of rental properties that remain untenanted for 21 days.
Batemans Bay's median rent did drop from $420 to $410 per week, but it also ranked the lowed for weekly household income on the list at just $703.
Narooma was sixth on the list with a zero per cent vacancy rate and a median rent that increased by $55 over the past 12 months.
Bermagui was number 11 with a median rent increase of $20 and a zero per cent vacancy rate, while 12th ranked Eden experienced a whopping 25 per cent increase in median rate from $360 to $450.
Warilla was ranked 13th with the vacancy rate holding steady at 0.6 per cent and median rate rising by $10, and Huskisson ranked 15th with a steady vacancy rate of 1.1 per cent and a median rent rise of $60.
Moruya was 16th on the list at 0.8 per cent vacancy and a 20 per cent rent median rent increase from $400 to $480, and Tuross Head was 20th with a zero per cent vacancy rate and a small increase in median rent of $20 per week.
RentRabbit.com.au co-founder Ben Pretty said a lot of tenants are facing desperate conditions right now.
"Many renters in New South Wales are being faced with a triple whammy - they live in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, they have low household incomes and it's incredibly hard for them to find rental accommodation," he said.
"Some of these renters are living in suburbs that have a vacancy rate of zero per cent, which means rental properties are being snapped up the moment they become vacant.
"Unsurprisingly, in the vast majority of these suburbs, rents have increased over the past year, often by double-digit percentages.
"The RentRabbit.com.au Rental Crisis Report is designed to highlight the rental crisis facing significant numbers of people.
"Yes, it really is a crisis. For the sake of renters living in those suburbs, we hope that more rental stock comes onto the market soon."
Mr Pretty said he'd like to see legislative changes to create a better renting market for everyone.
"We're seeing issues of particularly low vacancy rates and a few opportunistic landlords who look to increase the rents in those areas," he said.
"You're combining the effects of COVID-19 with a lack of wage growth, and it's really putting increased demands on the locals.
"There needs to be legislative change, we're finding that stable and affordable housing is particularly hard to come by in regional areas.
"There's no cap on the percentage increase of rent, and there's a lack of development in regional areas.
"It's just been this whirlwind of increased demand in regional areas and a lack of new houses coming on the market."