Why the rent for this Taigum townhouse in Brisbane will soon jump a massive 86 per cent in just one day

Aussies are furious after discovering the reason why the rent on a townhouse property will soon rise a staggering 86 per cent.

The three-bedroom townhouse on Radiant Street in Taigum, in Brisbane's north, was listed on realeastate.com for $348 a week.

But the rent will rise sharply to $650 a week on September 8, when the property is no longer eligible for support under the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS).

The NRAS was implemented in 2008 as part of the Australian Government's long-term commitment to improve housing affordability. 

The Rudd-era program paid property owners a subsidy in exchange for them keeping rents on new homes below market rate for a decade, but now the scheme is winding down.

With the last of the homes to exit the scheme by mid-2026, tenants fear skyrocketing rental prices and cost of living pressures will only make the housing crisis worse. 

A photo of the listing was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by tenants' advocate Jordan van den Berg, who posts under the handle Purple Pingers, with the caption 'I wonder how ending the National Rental Affordability Scheme is going'. 

Many social media users joined in to say the program had been 'life changing'.  

'I was reporting on NRAS back in 2010 when I was at Leader Newspapers and it was a great scheme,' former journalist Emily Webb responded.  

'About a decade ago when I had gone back to study and my partner was unemployed for a considerable time, NRAS helped change our lives,' wrote another. 

'NRAS has allowed me to live in an apartment by myself for seven years,' a third person commented. 

The property has two bathrooms, two parking spaces, an open-plan living area, a spacious backyard, a modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher and two air-conditioners. 

'The property is in a secure complex surrounded by landscaped gardens, CCTV camera security and friendly on-site managers,' the listing reads.

'The complex is situated in a much sought after location, within walking distance of schools, childcare, shopping centre, recreational parks and public transport.'

A Westfield shopping complex and the beach are also a 10-minute dive away.  

But social media users slammed the drastic rent increase, claiming it's 'awful' and 'highlights the failures of capitalism'. 

'NRAS saved me and got me my apartment but then the program was dropped, now I have a 30% rent increase but there is nowhere cheaper to go,' one person said. 

'It's ridiculous the NRAS is ending, especially when so many people need it,' wrote another. 

'I know it wasn’t a perfect scheme but I am so furious about it ending,' a third person commented. 

The property is currently accepting applications from tenants eligible for the NRAS.

The NRAS eligibility test can be found on government websites and asks questions about whether the applicant owns any properties, the amount of their household liquid assets, and their combined gross yearly income, among other things. 

Crane Realty's Onsite Manager, Prue Xiong, said the property will reach its full 10-year term as an NRAS property on September 7, and will no longer be eligible for NRAS benefits.

'As a result, we need to increase the rent,' she told Daily Mail Australia.