In the context of rental crisis, can international students have an equal opportunity to compete with others?

International students face high rents

Dozens of people are lined up outside an open-for-inspection rental apartment in Sydney. Photo credit: news.com.au

Story background:

Education has always been one of Australia’s key exports, although international students contributed $25.5 billion to Australian education in the pandemic’s volatile 2022. In January 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Education claimed that it would no longer award degrees to remote students in order to maintain equity in education.

Therefore, moving to Sydney after the pandemic, international students are finding community and settling into life in a brandnew city. Sydney, the city with the highest cost of living in Australia, is in a situation where there is less housing and more people. According to data from Domain, Australia is experiencing the longest sustained rental price increase in its history, with Sydney’s median price hitting $600 across the board for the first time. In particular, the number of viewings near the campus rose by 106%, with the average rent for a two-bedroom flat costing over $1,050.

As a result, it is not uncommon for students to submit a dozen rental applications a day without receiving a response. The decision to accept a tenant depends on, references and making sure they can look after the place. And student status is naturally at a disadvantage to full-time workers. Young people still want to live in the city and have equal access to an apartment. This forces international students to choose between taking on high rents and a lower standard of living.

Source: Domain Rent Report, March quarter 2023

Story topic:

This news feature will focus on the dilemmas that the international student community encounters when renting and applying for accommodation in Sydney. Where financial pressures, scarce properties, uncertainty of student status and the need for quality of life are the main barriers to renting. To strike a balance, this news piece will show the particularities of the international student community in the context of renting through the experiences of international students, landlord standards and information from real estate agents to support them, and keep an eye on whether there is government and university support for the issue of renting.

Publication and Target audience:

Rental crisis in Sydney involves the international student community and can be considered from an economic and political perspective. This story has timeliness, proximity and impact and involves three parties: international student tenants, landlords and agents. Given the number of international students who have entered or will soon enter Australia as a result of the relaxation of policies, this news feature will reflect the rental dilemma. Therefore, I expect publication in the ABC news and the Sydney morning herald, both offshore and onshore students will be interested in anticipating the influx of international students.

Sources of information:

  1. Data: Domain
  2. Relevant policy: The age
  3. Current rental situation:
  1. Interviewee:
  • Tenant- international student: Experience of not being able to find satisfactory accommodation
  • Tenant- international student: Forced to move out of current apartment due to sharp increase in rent
  • Landlord: Prefer full time workers as tenants
  • Agents: current rental situation

Multimedia, hypertext and interactivity:

  • I will use eye-catching photographs, such as capturing people in a crowded queue to view a property, to add an emotional element.
  • Hyperlinks will be used to support the news content, providing relevant policy and economic information to help readers better understand. Data on rental market will also be presented in graphical form.
  • To increase interactivity, I will use a number of tweets to transform static pages into dynamic and interactive content. The views of other groups on the Sydney rent crisis, not just the international student community.

Word count: 573

1 Comment

  1. Hi! After reading your proposal, I think you have a clear mind map of what you want to
    write. Regarding to the topic to Newsworthy, public interest is one of them. I suggest
    including the perspective of native student as well, as they also face similar problems to
    international students. To emphasize the balance you mentioned in subject, you could
    add some contrasts. For instance, you could compare the rental problems faced by
    international students versus native students. Interviews with native students may help
    to highlight these differences and provide a more perspective. Overall, if you want to
    include this ‘compete’, it’s important to ensure that both perspectives are represented
    and balanced in your writing.

    According to your story background, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the rental
    market in Sydney, causing a decrease in available housing and an increase in the
    number of people seeking housing. To increase credibility, this information can be
    supported by data and authoritative research.

    In addition, using proper punctuation and subheadings can improve your writing. It’s
    also important to use simple and easy-to-understand language. When referencing
    external resources, double-check the facts as they may change over time. Lastly, to
    engage with your audience, consider having a vote at the end of your content to see if
    your audience is facing the same issues.

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