Single mum Kayla Psaradellis has revealed her negative experiences with landlords and property agents after tragically losing her husband to a rare form of cancer.
No longer requiring her spacious $1000 per-week rental that was intended for a growing family, the widower contacted property agents in the hope of finding something smaller.
She told realestate.com.au she believed the agents were imposing an unwritten requirement leaving her and her two-year-old child at a disadvantage.
“What I noticed was I felt like they were looking for an undisclosed criteria of what they wanted… I don’t think a single mum is on that list,” she said.
“It’s preferred to be in a two-income household, looking like you’re a stable family unit rather than a single mum.”
Only further complicating the rental market, the issue of rent bidding also made Ms Psaradellis feel helpless with the uncertainty of how to navigate people offering more than advertised.
“I have my own business so I have a very stable income and I can afford the rent even though I don’t have a partner in the house,” she added.
During one rental application, a property manager asked Ms Psaradellis if she had anyone else she could put on the lease to help her chances.
Ms Psaradellis said reform and policy must be changed to ensure renters all have an equal opportunity.
Source: realestate.com.au
