HIGH rental vacancies have presented squatters with the perfect opportunities to find temporary homes, the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania believes.
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State residency rental vacancy rates are highest in the North-West at 6.1 per cent, 4.7 per cent in Hobart, and 2.8 per cent in Launceston.
REIT property manager trainer Robbie Yeoman said a rate of less than 1.5 per cent had been maintained in Tasmania over 12 years before this rise.
Although there had been no reportable increase from institute members regarding squatting in vacant properties, Ms Yeoman said they remained a target if unsecured and poorly lit.
``In Hobart, for example, with the vacancy rate at 4.7 per cent, there is an increased opportunity for squatters,'' she said.
``Squatting does not happen very frequently (and) it is unlikely that squatters will force entry or cause malicious damage.''
Squatters were believed to have started a fire in a vacant Department of Health and Human Services building in South Launceston on Monday night.
Launceston police said this was the first issue with squatters that had required police attention for some time.
Launceston Salvation Army commanding officer Kevin Lumb said more younger homeless people and working families at-risk of homelessness had presented to the Launceston office for help this winter.
``About 9 per cent of the people we deal with are in the homeless category, and if you broaden that to people living in boarding rooms, that figures blows out to 17 per cent,'' he said.
``We traditionally deal with transient males but the number of working families we've seen that can't afford their rents . . . is frightening.''
