A landlord who wants to “pop in” now and again, legal action threatened over a two cent bill, an ‘iconic’ castle for sale, a home with its own cat café and the Las Vegas development where the homes and the rents are tiny.

Message to gamblers – just imagine what you could be renting instead. That’s just a few of the quirky reads in this week’s feed from Leftfield.

Free Reads

Domain  

‘Is this a Joke?’: Rental sparks outrage over unexpected rules
A homeowner in an affluent London neighbourhood has caused a stir online after offering her home for rent with an unusual caveat. The owner, who did not publicly reveal their identity other than being 29 and female, posted a short-term rental advertisement for her one-bedroom mews house in Knightsbridge.

‘Hilarious’ reason Aussie renter was threatened with legal action
In a rental market where costs are continuing to skyrocket, it isn’t uncommon to double-take at a hefty bill. A group of housemates in Australia, however, were left shocked by a bill for an entirely different reason after it demanded just two cents.

‘Constant stress’: Aussie influencer hits back at criticism over Byron Bay mansion
Former reality TV star Krystal Hipwell’s Byron Bay mega-build has attracted hordes of attention, but not all of it is welcome. The Australian influencer and property entrepreneur is hitting back at critics, instead sharing a look inside the “struggles” that sit behind the polished end result.

Disaster-proof ‘dome home’ hits the market near Camp David
A disaster-proof dome property, located just minutes from the US President’s country retreat, is seeking a new owner.

Angela Fleming offloads Bellevue Hill trophy home ahead of auction
Angela Fleming, the widow of Australian supermarket titan Jim Fleming, has offloaded her Sydney trophy home to a mystery buyer. Angela sold the four-bedroom, three-bathroom mansion in Bellevue Hill, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, for about $10.3 million.

The multimillion-dollar property empire still linking Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness
Nearly three years after announcing their split, the multimillion-dollar property empire built by Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness is still being untangled.

World War II bunker hits the market for $1.2 million
A former World War II bunker has resurfaced as a surprisingly modern home. Tucked beneath a grassy mound in the English town of Bicester, the underground structure was originally constructed in 1939 as part of the Royal Air Force’s wartime infrastructure.

Commercial Real Estate  

From mixed lolly bags to macchiatos: The evolution of Australia’s milk bar
Introduced in the 1930s, Australia’s milk bar was modelled on American soda bars and offered affordable milkshakes, groceries and everyday essentials under one roof.

ABC Online  

Commuters swap the car for e-bikes as fuel prices soar amid Middle East war
Retailers are reporting higher e-bike sales as commuters look for alternative travel options amid high fuel costs. One bike shop has gone from four e-bike sales per week, to as many as 30 in ten days.

Tree proximity to property may hurt sale price, analysis in Australia’s biggest city shows
A single tree on public land within 10 metres of a home in the City of Sydney LGA could decrease the property’s value by up to 2.69 per cent, a report has found. Some experts say the findings highlight the complexities of balancing the planning of greener cities without interfering with existing infrastructure.

Realestate.com.au  

Revealed: Las Vegas is getting a tiny-home community where rent is $1.4k
Las Vegas has been given the green light for an affordable alternative to fix the housing crisis that Australia could take huge inspiration from. The City Council in Las Vegas voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a proposed tiny-home community.

Bizarre reason this $380k home is so cheap
At first glance, this freshly renovated two bedroom holiday home looks like a routine buy – until you hit the fine print that would make most Australians blush: it’s for “genuine nudists only”.

Desperate residents draw battle lines on streets amid fierce Sydney parking crisis
Australia’s urban centres are grappling with an escalating parking crisis, forcing homeowners to adopt increasingly creative, and sometimes controversial, measures to secure a coveted spot outside their properties.

Homeowners band together for $140m+ windfall
Fifteen homeowners in prestigious Pymble have banded together looking for a developer to buy their prime multi-million dollar homes situated 250m from the station. And word is they’re looking for more than $140m.

Victorian housing crisis: cancer survivor forced to live in car
Lung cancer patient Diana Connell and her son lived in a car after fleeing their regional Victorian home due to domestic violence.

‘Not a normal home’: The quirky castle crowned Australia’s most iconic listing
A four-decade-old gothic castle with a tower and wooden chandelier has been voted our most iconic property listing on

Melbourne couple to build incredible home with a cat cafe
A Melbourne couple are building their dream house complete with a paw-sitively amazing cat cafe-style room especially for their beloved pet felines.

VFL great Peter Banfield lists luxury Ashburton home
Former Essendon player Peter Banfield’s has listed his Ashburton family home for sale in one of the suburb’s most tightly held pockets.

Former JB Hi Fi boss Richard Bouris sells $25m Brighton home
The waterfront Brighton home of former JB Hi Fi boss Richard Bouris and wife Alison has been sold for a jaw-dropping sum north of $25m. The pair’s daughter Michelle Greene has followed her father’s retail success and is co-founder of Bec Judd’s JAGGAD clothing label.

Inside the waterfront ‘office’ Darryn Lyons is selling in Geelong exit
Former Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons’ Aussie property sell-off continues with the listing of a multimillion-dollar waterfront home he used as an office.

‘Sick of it’: Nearly 1 in 2 Queenslanders choosing a home over healthcare
Queenslanders are being forced to choose between paying the mortgage and seeing a doctor, with some homeowners delaying essential medical treatment like surgery and putting $100,000 on their home loans for healthcare.

Sold: Ram Island finds its new shepherd
One of the most outstanding properties on the Tasmanian market has been sold. Ram Island off Little Swanport has a new owner.

Real Commercial  

Aussie founder’s toilet stunt pays off as company donates $20m
Aussie entrepreneur Simon Griffiths famously refused to leave a toilet for 50 hours to fund his start-up, a commercial gamble that has now hit a huge milestone. The Melbourne-based social enterprise Who Gives A Crap recently surpassed $20 million in total contributions to global water and sanitation projects.

View.com.au  

Older Australians overlook reverse mortgages despite $3 trillion in home equity
Australians over 60 are sitting on a collective $3 trillion in home equity. On top of that, they have around $600 billion that could be unlocked through structured equity release products to boost retirement incomes and help older Aussies stay in their homes for longer, a new report has found.

Celeste Barber unveils ‘edgy hotel’-inspired pad after shock marriage split
After splitting from husband Api Robin, Celeste Barber has unveiled her new Gold Coast bachelorette pad in the latest Marie Claire Australia Lifestyle.

Pay-walled

The Australian Financial Review

Hemmes builds 4-metre high noise control wall at Club Rose Bay
Hospitality king Justin Hemmes has erected four-metre-high sound muffling walls around Club Rose Bay’s beer garden in Sydney’s affluent eastern suburbs in an effort to reduce the noise of patrons at the lively venue as the state government and local council remain at loggerheads over its future.

PR queen Sophie Curtis buys Charles Curran’s $25.5m Woollahra mansion
Luxury PR head Sophie Curtis has emerged as the buyer of the Woollahra mansion and long-time home of former Rich Lister and philanthropist Charles Curran, paying $25.5 million for the six-bedroom home in Sydney’s east.

Roxy Jacenko auctions ex-Sydney HQ to be with husband Oliver Curtis
Public relations star and socialite Roxy Jacenko will next month put to auction the commercial property in Sydney’s inner-city Paddington that was once headquarters for her public relations firm, Sweaty Betty PR.

Iran war could add $50,000 to new home builds: Satterley
Australian building mogul Nigel Satterley has warned the Iran war could add up to $50,000 to the price of a new home, and called on the competition watchdog to investigate spiralling costs in the construction sector.

KKR’s David Lang and wife put $22m Woollahra mansion up for grabs
Global investment firm KKR’s co-head of Australia, David Lang and his academic wife, Dearbhail, are selling their light-filled Woollahra home with price hopes of around $22 million.

The Australian

Fuel crisis stops farmers filling cattle water troughs, halts food production
At this time of year in Australia’s Gulf Country, as the six-month wet season ends and the deserted stretches of roads reopen after the floods, the farmers who run vast cattle stations pick up the phone and book in tankers to refill their emptying stores of diesel. Not this year.

The Sydney Morning Herald

The bold vision to turn Victoria Barracks into Sydney’s ‘next great public place’
Sydney’s Victoria Barracks would be thrown open for homes, leisure, sporting and cultural events under concept plans intended to stir debate around a divisive proposal to sell off historic military sites.

Crackdown on tree poisoning as Sydney council takes alleged vandal to court
A Sydney council has launched court proceedings against an alleged tree vandal, sending a clear warning to deter offenders who illegally clear trees from committing the “reckless and intentional” crime.

Dreaming of a tree change? What you need to know first
Moving away from the city to a tree-change town can be a boon, but there are some everyday practical realities buyers may wish to consider first. A net 35,000 city dwellers migrated to regional areas in 2023-24, ABS data shows, reflecting a shift towards regional living beyond the lockdown-era peak of 49,000 in 2020-21.

The Daily Telegraph

RSL chief fights to save Victoria Barracks from federal government sale
Former Brigadier Vince Williams has blasted federal government plans to sell off the historic Army base, claiming the proposal is the outdated brainchild of bureaucrats.

Electricity giant Ausgrid accused of neglecting network while chasing EV charger profits
Ausgrid’s outstanding repairs have doubled to 20,000 despite profits surging 74 per cent, with critics slamming the electricity giant for sidelining essential maintenance to push lucrative EV charging ventures.

The West Australian

Summit Homes Group imports hundreds of tradies in large scale migration program to boost housing supply
Summit Homes Group is the first major builder to embark on a large-scale migration program, importing 100 Filipino tradies to date with hundreds more in the pipeline. General manager Cameron Lade conceded it was a controversial move in the current climate, but said it was the only way to address the dire trade shortage.