'Landlords get away with murder': Jordan van den Berg
Renter advocate Jordan van den Berg recently appeared on Network 10's The Project, where he urged those locked out of the rental market to take up squatting.
This was much to the ire of property investment professionals.
We talk to the man behind the Purplepingers and Shitrentals social channels about his passion for a fairer housing system.
Tell us about your background.
I'm a unionist, first-generation migrant to Australia and an admitted but non-practising lawyer.
I grew up in South Africa and Australia and, ultimately, got very lucky. In doing so, I recognised that not everyone found themselves in such lucky positions and this significantly shaped my worldview.
Growing up surrounded by brothers and sisters who worry about where their next meal is coming from when it's not something your childhood self ever had to turn their mind to doesn't make you think you 'worked hard' for anything, it makes you angry.
I've always had a passion for social justice.
How are Purplepingers and Shitrentals shifting the dial for renters?
Purplepingers is my handle on all social media. It's a username I created in Year 10, and it's something I regret on a daily basis, but something I'll never change.
Shitrentals aims to point out just how unfair our housing system is. It highlights how ridiculous it is that we are paying top dollar to live in rental homes covered in mould and asbestos, and often without a ceiling.
The website is a way for renters to review their rental properties or real estate agents, effectively warning other renters about what they might be dealing with.
Landlords have this ultimate control over who they let into their investment properties, but they don't have to tell renters anything about what they're likely to deal with or what the property is like.
All that renters get are photos that are often a decade old, and a chatGPT-generated description of the property. Shitrentals is a way for renters to use their voice without the threat of eviction.
What are some of the most common (bad) behaviours renters have to deal with?
Renters suffer from an extreme power imbalance when it comes to housing, and all of the behaviours that renters experience stem from this issue.
These symptoms most commonly look like: landlords not completing repairs, even if they are legally required. Rentals covered in mould or exposed asbestos that make them dangerous to live in.
I've seen more leaks than Julian Assange, as well as countless rentals in various stages of physical collapse. I've heard many examples of pretty extreme racial discrimination.
In almost every State and Territory, renters experience unlimited rent increases or no-grounds evictions and are forced to find a new place to live on a yearly basis.
Our houses are poorly insulated, heated and cooled. Also, for some reason in Sydney's inner west, landlords can't be bothered to do anything about rats, mice or cockroaches.
Most of these things are unlawful for the landlord to allow in a rental property. However the government consistently fails to enforce its own legislation.
What are the fundamental inequities in the market?
Both contenders for government, the LNP and the ALP, are overwhelmingly landlords. As a result, they have an incentive for housing to be increasingly unaffordable, because it will increase the profits made by their property portfolios.
The fundamental inequity is the power imbalance that renters face. Landlords and real estate agents know they can get away with murder because they'll find another tenant who is desperate to take their place.
Needing a place to live is a fundamental human need. You'll put up with a lot to have a roof over your head.
What changes would alleviate the situation?
We need to acknowledge that housing should not be an investment, but is instead a fundamental human right. This is not an easy conversation to have, and will require us, as a nation, to grapple with the fact the land we live on was stolen.
Before we get to that stage, our housing situation is going to get a lot worse unless we take bold action on things like implementing rent controls, removing the capital gains tax discount, removing negative gearing for investment properties, controlling the invasive species that is short-stay accommodation and building public housing.
You studied as a lawyer. How has this informed your advocacy?
I've always wanted to help people, and I thought that becoming a lawyer was the best way to do this.
As part of my Global Studies degree, I worked in a few law firms overseas and quickly found out that, by and large, being a lawyer is a great way to make rich people more money.
I'm not saying you can't help people as a lawyer - we have thousands of lawyers all over Australia working in community legal centres for very little pay and recognition who are doing the most amazing work.
Studying law taught me noble notions of equality, access and fairness.
Being in the real world taught me that capitalism removed Lady Justice's blindfold and broke her scales, but her sword is pretty big. We use the legal system as a way to punish the poor and every now and then give the rich a very small fine.
What activism do you think would force change?
I think that collective action born from class struggle is incredibly effective, and we've seen it to be effective throughout history.
I think squatting movements and rent strikes are on the cards in the near future, and will definitely force change.
How do you earn a living currently?
I'm a public servant full-time. I've worked for the national redress scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse, as well as the royal commission into defence and veteran suicide, but as a rule I try not to tell people where I work.
What was your earliest money lesson?
You can work very hard and make good money, but there will always be people who work far harder than you who will never see as much money as you.
What was a big financial turning point for you?
I think seeing the dream of owning our own homes slipping from the grasp of my generation and every generation after mine was incredibly eye-opening.
What's the best money advice you've received?
I haven't received much advice, but Mum always said to invest in property. Look where that got us!
What's the best investment you've made?
It's not a financial investment but investing time and effort into the people around me who care about me, particularly my loved ones. The ROI on that bad boy is unmeasurable.
What's your worst investment decision?
I bought a car named Terrence that broke down every time I looked at it a little funny. That was an expensive mistake, but I was very attached to it.
What is your favourite thing to spend money on?
Nothing brings me as much joy as spending money on my wife and the people I care about (which, unfortunately for my wallet, is quite a few people).
How would you spend your last $50?
I would spend it on a dinner with family and friends.
What's the next challenge you've set yourself?
I want to try help collectivise and organise the renting class.
We outnumber landlords four to one, and we can do some very good things together. United we bargain, divided we beg.
I also want to be able to prove that the work I'm doing is getting results using data. The Shitrentals database has been provided a number of times to government agencies and has the potential to be used to inform policy.
Finish this sentence: money is good for...
... being "the procurer between man's need and the object, between his life and his means of life. But that which mediates my life for me, also mediates the existence of other people for me. For me it is the other person," as Karl Marx wrote.
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