00:00We've got properties across Australia apart from Northern Territory, Tasmania and ACT.
00:08As Victor Kumar drives the streets of South West Sydney he points out the homes he's accumulated,
00:13the houses he's built and his plans for development.
00:15We're going to knock this house down and put five townhouses here.
00:19In all he owns more than 100 rentals and is building 30 more.
00:23He also runs a business telling people how they too can build their own portfolios.
00:27It was hard slog in the initial stages.
00:30We sacrificed a lot.
00:31We started our family late.
00:32We didn't have much of a social life.
00:34Data obtained under Freedom of Information shows he's one of more than 2,500 people who
00:39own 10 or more rental properties in Australia.
00:42172 of this elite group own 20 or more properties.
00:46These mega investors own or part own over 33,200 rentals between them, roughly equivalent
00:51to the number of dwellings in the Melbourne suburbs of Richmond and South Yarra combined
00:56or the Waverley Council area in Sydney's east.
00:58The data also shows the landlords with 20 or more properties are losing the most money
01:02on them and are benefiting the most from negative gearing.
01:06Really highlights just how skewed the whole tax arrangement is and how much it really
01:11benefits those big investors rather than what we stereotypically hear about, oh no it's
01:17good for mums and dads.
01:19We've got a system that is actually assisting people more to buy their 10th property than
01:24their first.
01:25Investor Margaret Lomas, who owns more than 20 properties, agreed the system was unfair
01:30but says criticism of larger investors is unwarranted.
01:33The motivations behind many property investors isn't to create grand wealth for themselves.
01:40It's often to help their own families.
01:42Several economists say limiting negative gearing for people who own multiple properties could
01:45dampen house prices.
01:47For instance, the ATO data also shows that while only 10% of investors own three or more
01:51properties, they hold 25% of Australia's rental stock.
01:56Even if we were able to curtail these large number of investors, that would have a really
02:01strong dampening effect on the overall housing market.
02:05But Mr Kumar doesn't believe targeting big investors like him would have a long-term
02:08impact on prices.
02:10Ultimately it's supply and demand and we simply don't have enough supply.
02:14Despite speculation about the government's position, both the Labor and Liberal parties
02:18say they have no plans to change property tax concessions ahead of the next election.
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