Overcrowding, structural problems: suburbs with the worst housing exposed – realestate.com.au

Sydney and Melbourne have been found to have the worst housing in the country, with thousands of properties plagued by defects, overcrowding and structural problems.

Many of the areas identified as having the worst real estate problems in a major national survey of housing conditions had a large concentration of high-density or recently built medium-density apartments.

iSelect’s research analyzed SA4 regions based on 21 factors, including housing conditions, climate, public health and access to healthcare.

The aim was to highlight the suburbs where residents are most at risk from poor quality housing.

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The results showed that Sydney and Melbourne had the worst structural and overcrowding problems, which, while not affecting the majority of homes, were more common than the national average.

iSelect’s Sophie Ryan said some of Australia’s biggest housing markets were facing “real housing challenges”.

“Issues such as cracks in walls, sinking foundations and drainage issues were common, putting additional pressure on residents,” she said. “These housing problems not only affect comfort, they can also have serious health consequences.”

Topping the list is Parramatta, where 11.8 percent of homes have structural problems, including 4.8 percent with major cracks and 3.5 percent with sinking or moving foundations.

Overcrowding is reported to affect 10 per cent of homes in Parramatta, giving the area the worst housing rating in the country.

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Housing in central Sydney also regularly experienced problems with overcrowding.

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“Overcrowding is associated with higher stress levels and poorer overall physical and mental health in children and adults,” Ryan said.

Sydney’s inner south-west and south-west showed similar housing problems, with high rates of plumbing problems and other structural deficiencies.

Areas in central Sydney such as Inland, CBD and Outback had some of the worst overcrowding problems, showing that poor housing conditions were not limited to the middle or outer ring suburbs.

Melbourne also featured prominently, with the South East, North West and West showing slightly different problems but still in the top 10 areas with the worst housing conditions.

These areas had fewer cracked walls or floors, but had many other structural problems and persistent overcrowding, the study found.

According to iSelect, real estate problems were more common in some areas with many new-build homes.

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Other Sydney regions, including Blacktown and Ryde, completed the top 10.

“Being informed about local housing conditions is important because it helps residents understand potential risks, plan maintenance or repairs and make decisions that protect their homes and families,” Ryan said.

The Australian regions with the strongest housing conditions were clustered in Western Australia.

Mandurah topped the list, with smaller numbers of homes suffering from structural problems, major cracks or overcrowding.

Other areas in and around WA’s capital, including south-west Perth, Bunbury and north-west Perth, are showing similarly strong results, with very low rates of foundation problems and plumbing issues.

More remote regions, such as the Wheat Belt and parts of WA’s outback, maintained good housing standards compared to the national average.

Perth’s inner and south-east were also among the top 10 areas with the highest quality housing.

REGIONS WITH THE WORST HOUSING CONDITIONS IN AUSTRALIA:

Parramatta

Within South West Sydney

South West Sydney

Inner West Sydney

City and inner South Sydney

South East Melbourne

Northwest Melbourne

Melbourne West

Blacktown (Sydney)

Ryde (Sydney)

Source: iSelect