An Australian dad has criticised landlords after he and his family were evicted from a property that was left to sit empty for almost two years.
Arlo Enemark, 42, who lives in Melbourne with his wife and one-year-old child, shared his frustration after discovering his old home in Fitzroy was vacant and had been put on the market.
The father revealed he and his family had been “booted out” of the rental property in 2023 “because the new owners wanted vacant possession”.
“They then proceeded to leave the place empty for 18 months and, being developers, they could afford to lose the $50,000 in rent that we would’ve paid in that 18 months’ time,” he said in a video shared on TikTok.
Mr Enemark said the developers put the vacant property back on the market, which he argued was “crazy” and exposed a huge problem with the rental market in Australia.
“It’s just crazy that there are people sleeping in their cars while developers can just buy places and leave them empty,” he said.
The father called for an empty property tax for homes and commercial properties.
“They’re not like NFTs, they’re not just purely speculatory assets. They’re actually functional properties and buildings to provide homes and locations for businesses,” he said.
“We need empty property taxes immediately so it’s not viable to leave these things empty anymore.”
There is already a vacant residential land tax in Victoria, with a rate of one per cent of the property’s capital growth valued.
But Mr Enemark said the tax is “clearly not punitive enough”.
After being “booted out” of the rental in 2023, the father went on to buy an apartment in the area – but said he is still worried about people who are not as fortunate being “squeezed out the bottom”.
Mr Enemark’s call for a vacant property tax divided commentators, with many arguing that landlords had the right to do whatever they wanted with property they owned.
“It’s their property, if they wish to have it empty then so be it. People shouldn’t be taxed because they wish to keep their property empty,” one commented.
“No we don’t need more taxes. We need people to stop thinking that people who worked hard and invested for the future owe them a living,” another agreed.
However, others slammed landlords and shared similar experiences to Mr Enemark.
“It’s exactly what has happened with a rental of mine I ‘had’ to leave 12 months ago,” one commented. “I had to leave the area I grew up in, take the kids out of their school and move to a new area because of it.. it’s still vacant!”
“I can’t for the life of me find a suitable commercial property but half the shops near me are empty and not advertised. Kills the vibe of my town and damages the neighbouring businesses with its dead vibe,” another said.
The national vacancy rate in Australia is 1.2 per cent while the median house price is over $900,000.
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