HOUSING
In 1999, seven out of every 10 of Australia's 7.2 million households owned the homes they were living in (either with or without a mortgage). The overall proportion of owner and renter households remains unchanged from 1994.
Life-cycle stages have a strong impact on the tenure of Australian households, generally following a pattern of renting in early adulthood, moving to home purchase and mortgages as relationships and families are formed, and on to outright ownership in older age. For example, young people under 35 and living on their own were most likely to be renting (62%). Only 32% of this group owned their own home (most with a mortgage and some without), compared to 52% of young couples without children. Most (77%) of couples with dependent children owned their own home. However, one parent households with dependent children were more likely to be renting (58%), than to own their home (40%). The majority of couples with non-dependent children owned their home outright (60%), while for older couples with no children and where the reference person aged 65 or over, this proportion was even higher (88%).
The majority (57%) of Australian homes were reported to be 20 or more years old. In general, Australia's housing stock is in good condition, with the majority of households (80%) reporting no major structural problems with their dwelling.
Further details are contained in Australian Housing Survey: Housing Characteristics, Costs and Conditions (Cat. No. 4182.0).
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