This study examined disruptive digital technologies, investigating their potential for reshaping housing markets and reconfiguring housing policy. It provides housing policy makers and practitioners with a nuanced understanding of how technology is already restructuring housing markets and affecting housing assistance programs, as well as insights into likely future developments.

This study identified five Australian housing markets that could use online technology to match highly specific ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers’. The five markets considered are: swaps in public housing; disability accessible housing; low-cost private rental housing brokerage; apartment presales for low/mid income earners; and precinct-level urban redevelopment.

This study looks at how short-term letting (STL) platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com are reshaping housing opportunity in private markets. It analyses Airbnb listing data from Sydney and Melbourne to reveal insights into the extent STL is contributing to housing affordability issues and to highlight the most effective responses available to regulators.

Indoor mould growth is a common problem in homes and workplaces which is usually easy to treat, and generally does not impact on human health. In some cases, human contact with mould can cause health issues, such as worsening asthma symptoms, an allergic response, and (in rare cases) an infection.

This work discusses the policy implications of the survey results, particularly around tenure security, the growing number of older renters and the importance of the private rental sector (PRS) for households falling out of home ownership.