Stop Blaming Landlords for the Housing Crisis | FUNdamental Fridays

Welcome back to The Hill I’ll Die On, our Friday mini-series inside The Property Couch where members of the Couch Crew share bold money and property opinions they’re willing to stand behind. In this episode, tax expert Julia Hartman joins Ben Kingsley to tackle one of the biggest debates in Australia right now: 👉 Is blaming landlords actually making the housing crisis worse? Julia doesn’t hold back. She challenges the narrative that investors are the problem and explains why increasing costs, taxes, and regulations on landlords can actually reduce rental supply — pushing rents even higher. This conversation goes beyond headlines and digs into the real mechanics of supply, demand, and incentives. You’ll hear a different perspective on what’s driving the housing shortage, how policy decisions impact the market, and why some well-intentioned solutions may be making things worse. If you care about property, policy, or where the housing market is heading… this is one to watch. Got a question or a “hill” you want us to unpack? Send it through here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/ 👍 Like this video if it helped 🔔 Subscribe for weekly insights on property, finance & money management 📲 Start your journey with Moorr: https://moorr.com.au ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:39 – Meet Julia Hartman: Tax Expert 00:54 – The Hill: Stop Blaming Landlords 01:14 – Why Punishing Investors Reduces Supply 02:22 – Rising Costs for Property Investors 03:03 – Are Investors Really “Greedy Hoarders”? 04:02 – What Happens When Rental Supply Drops 05:22 – The Unexpected Idea to Increase Housing Supply 06:12 – Why Tax Settings Discourage Solutions 07:11 – Government Policy vs Market Forces 08:17 – Free Market vs Intervention Debate 10:41 – Final Thoughts: What Needs to Change