❓ Hon Tim Clifford questions the Treasurer on the discrepancy between REIWA and SQM Research rental vacancy rates, asking which the government considers more reliable and why the government uses its preferred method. The government states it primarily uses REIWA data due to its widespread understanding within WA.
AnsweredQoN 724Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Rental vacancies724.Hon Tim Cliffordto
the parliamentary secretary representing the Treasurer:The government has
indicated that it is happy with recent rental vacancy figures, attributing the increases
to its housing policies and incentives aimed at boosting supply. The Treasurer
noted that the doubling of Perth's vacancy rate over the past year was due to
the success of the government's investment in housing. Given that the vacancy
rate calculated by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia differs
markedly from the vacancy rate calculated by SQM Research, I ask the following.(1) Which vacancy rate does the government
consider to be more reliable, REIWA or SQM Research, and which does it use?(2) Is the government aware how the vacancy rate
used is calculated and, if so, could the method please be tabled?(3) Assuming there are at least two different
methods, why did the government reject the method it does not use?
the parliamentary secretary representing the Treasurer:The government has
indicated that it is happy with recent rental vacancy figures, attributing the increases
to its housing policies and incentives aimed at boosting supply. The Treasurer
noted that the doubling of Perth's vacancy rate over the past year was due to
the success of the government's investment in housing. Given that the vacancy
rate calculated by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia differs
markedly from the vacancy rate calculated by SQM Research, I ask the following.(1) Which vacancy rate does the government
consider to be more reliable, REIWA or SQM Research, and which does it use?(2) Is the government aware how the vacancy rate
used is calculated and, if so, could the method please be tabled?(3) Assuming there are at least two different
methods, why did the government reject the method it does not use?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 September 2025
Response time
0 days
Hon Samantha Rowe replied:I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question and provide the following
answer on behalf of the Treasurer.(1)–(3) REIWA is the industry body that
represents real estate agencies in Western Australia and as such is widely
quoted and understood within the Western Australian community. The government
primarily uses the REIWA rental vacancy rate. The REIWA website states that its
vacancy rates are collated from a survey of REIWA members' rent roll numbers
and are calculated as a ratio of vacant rental properties divided by total
rental properties, occupied and vacant.
Housing—Rental vacancies
honourable member for some notice of the question and provide the following
answer on behalf of the Treasurer.(1)–(3) REIWA is the industry body that
represents real estate agencies in Western Australia and as such is widely
quoted and understood within the Western Australian community. The government
primarily uses the REIWA rental vacancy rate. The REIWA website states that its
vacancy rates are collated from a survey of REIWA members' rent roll numbers
and are calculated as a ratio of vacant rental properties divided by total
rental properties, occupied and vacant.
Housing—Rental vacancies
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