People
Dr Chris Martin
Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences) (Honours 1), University of Sydney
Bachelor of Laws (Honours 2), University of Sydney
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney

Chris is a Senior Research Fellow at the City Futures Research Centre, where he is part of the City Housing program.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other forms of marginal rental accommodation;
- housing investment and finance;
- intersections between housing, policing and criminal justice; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris has led and participated in numerous inquiries and research projects for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and other researcher funders.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. He is also a past Chair of Shelter NSW. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
Chris Martin joined the City Futures Research Centre in May 2015 as a Research Fellow, Housing Policy and Practice.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other marginal rental housing;
- housing and taxation; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on residential tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
- See more at: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/chris_martin#sthash.1seVsShP.dpuf
Chris Martin joined the City Futures Research Centre in May 2015 as a Research Fellow, Housing Policy and Practice.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other marginal rental housing;
- housing and taxation; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on residential tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
- See more at: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/chris_martin#sthash.1seVsShP.dpu
Chris Martin joined the City Futures Research Centre in May 2015 as a Research Fellow, Housing Policy and Practice.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other marginal rental housing;
- housing and taxation; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on residential tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
- See more at: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/chris_martin#sthash.1seVsShP.dpuf
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Chris Martin joined the City Futures Research Centre in May 2015 as a Research Fellow, Housing Policy and Practice.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other marginal rental housing;
- housing and taxation; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on residential tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
- See more at: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/chris_martin#sthash.1seVsShP.dpuf
Chris Martin joined the City Futures Research Centre in May 2015 as a Research Fellow, Housing Policy and Practice.
Chris's research interests are in rental housing and housing affordability, with special interest in:
- tenancy law;
- the private rental market and related institutions;
- social housing;
- boarding houses, lodging and other marginal rental housing;
- housing and taxation; and
- the history of housing policy.
Chris was previously the Senior Policy Officer of the Tenants' Union of NSW, and is the author of the 'Tenants' Rights Manual' (4th edition), the leading text on residential tenancy law and policy for tenants and community workers in New South Wales. Chris's PhD research was in the government of crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales.
- See more at: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/profile/chris_martin#sthash.DrKxnjZk.dpuf
Chief Investigator, Exiting prison with complex support needs (AHURI 2019-20)
Chief Investigator, Boarding houses in New South Wales: growth, change and implications for equitable density (Shelter NSW, 2018-19)
Chief Investigator, Poor quality housing: review of evidence (Shelter NSW, 2018-19)
Chief Investigator, Family impacts of social housing legal responses to occupier misconduct (AHURI, 2017-18)
Chief Investigator, The changing institutions of private rental housing: an international review (AHURI, 2016-17)
Team member, project manager, Housing sex offenders (ARC, 2019-20)
Team member, Demand-side assistance in Australia’s rental housing market (AHURI, 2019-20)
Team member, Social housing as infrastructure: conceptual foundations (AHURI, 2017-18)
Team member, Technological disruption in private housing markets: the case of Airbnb (AHURI, 2017-18)
Team member, The institutional dynamics of the Australian private rental sector: prospects and opportunities (AHURI, 2016-17)
Team member, Developing the scale and capacity of Australia's affordable housing industry (AHURI, 2015-16)
Team member, Investing in disadvantage: the role of investor landlords in restructuring Australia’s major cities (ARC, 2015-17)
Team member, Rental Vulnerability Index (Tenants Queensland, 2017)
Books
Martin C, 2012, Tenants' Rights Manual: a practical guide to renting in New South Wales (4th edition), 4th, Federation Press, Annandale
Book Chapters
Pettit C; Ticzon C; Reades J; Wentz EA; Ong P; Martin C; Troy L; Crommelin L, 2018, 'How Disruptive Technology is Impacting the Housing and Property Markets: An Examination of Airbnb', in Reed R; Pettit C (ed.), Real Estate and GIS: The Application of Mapping Technologies, Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 36 - 64, https://www.routledge.com/Real-Estate-and-GIS-The-Application-of-Mapping-Technologies/Reed-Pettit/p/book/9781138187986
Arbuthnot G; Irving A; Lee J; Martin CL; Mowbray R; Smyth P; Wilkinson R, 2016, 'Housing', in The Law Handbook: Your Practical Guide to the Law in New South Wales, edn. 14, Thomson Reuters, Sydney, http://legal.thomsonreuters.com.au/the-law-handbook-your-practical-guide-to-the-law-in-nsw-14th-edition/productdetail/124551
Journal articles
Martin C, 2020, 'Security and Renewal in Australian Public Housing: Historical Representations and Current Problems', Urban Policy and Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2020.1829583
Pawson H; Martin C, 2020, 'Rental property investment in disadvantaged areas: the means and motivations of Western Sydney’s new landlords', Housing Studies, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1709806
Hulse K; Reynolds M; Martin C, 2019, 'The Everyman archetype: discursive reframing of private landlords in the financialization of rental housing', Housing Studies, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2019.1644297
Lawson J; Martin C, 2019, 'Review of selected works by M. Mazzucato and colleagues on states, market shaping and value', Housing, Theory and Society, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2019.1612153
Martin C, 2018, 'The Commonwealth tenancy disputes legislation: A bad vibe', Australian Property Law Journal, vol. 27, pp. 15 - 25
Martin C, 2018, 'Improving Housing Security through Tenancy Law Reform: Alternatives to Long Fixed Term Agreements', Property Law Review, vol. 7, pp. 184 - 194, https://www-westlaw-com-au.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/maf/wlau/app/document?&src=search&docguid=I4d028561e38011e8b978b52e7aea20ea&epos=1&snippets=true&fcwh=true&startChunk=1&endChunk=1&nstid=std-an
Pawson H; Milligan V; Martin C, 2018, 'Building Australia's affordable housing industry: capacity challenges and capacity-enhancing strategies', International Journal of Housing Policy, pp. 1 - 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19491247.2018.1469108
Crommelin LM; Troy L; Martin C; Pettit C, 2018, 'Is Airbnb a sharing economy superstar? Evidence from five global cities', Urban Policy and Research, vol. 36, pp. 429 - 444, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2018.1460722
Martin C, 2018, 'Clever Odysseus: narratives and strategies of rental property investor subjectivity in Australia', Housing Studies, vol. 33, pp. 1060 - 1084, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2017.1414161
Milligan V; Pawson H; Phillips R; Martin C, 2017, 'Developing the scale and capacity of Australia's affordable housing industry', AHURI Final Report, pp. 1 - 110, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7108402
Martin CL, 2016, 'One strike, three strikes: crime and anti-social behaviour in NSW public housing', Alternative Law Journal, vol. 41, pp. 262 - 266, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1037969X1604100410
Martin C, 2015, 'Contracts and conduct: Using tenancy law to govern crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales', Property Law Review, vol. 5, pp. 81 - 100
Martin CL, 2004, 'Law and Order in Public Housing: the Residential Tenancies (Public Housing) Act 2004', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, vol. 16
Martin CL, 2002, 'Public Assembly and Dissent in Sydney – one year on from the Olympic Games', Alternative Law Journal, vol. 27
Martin CL, 2001, 'Review of the Report of the Ombudsman Victoria, Investigation of Police Action at the World Economic Forum Demonstrations September 2000, June 2001', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, vol. 13
Martin CL, 2000, 'Crime and Control in Australian Urban Space', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, vol. 12
Conference Papers
Martin C, 2018, 'Housing Reform and Classical Liberal Governmentality Before the Social Housing Era', in McShane I; Taylor E; Porter L; Woodcock I (eds.), Remaking Cities - Proceedings of the 14th Australasian Urban History Planning History Conference 2018, Remaking Cities - 14th Australasian Urban History Planning History Conference 2018, Melbourne, pp. 303 - 313, presented at Remaking Cities - 14th Australasian Urban History Planning History Conference 2018, Melbourne, 31 January 2018 - 02 February 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.25916/5c2446b63857c
Troy L; Martin C, 2017, 'Rental Vulnerability: a new methodology for measuring and mapping disadvantage in rental housing', in State of Australian Cities Conference 2017, State of Australian Cities Conference 2017, Adelaide, presented at State of Australian Cities Conference 2017, Adelaide, 28 November 2017 - 30 November 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/50/5b2de81a7591b
Conference Presentations
Martin C, 2019, 'Social housing legal responses to crime and anti-social behaviour', presented at National Housing Conference, Darwin, Northern Territory, 27 August 2019 - 27 September 2019
Martin C, 2019, 'Regulating Airbnb and short-term letting: an international review', presented at Sixth Annual International and Comparative Urban Law Conference, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 11 July 2019 - 12 July 2019
Martin CL, 2017, 'Property investor subjectivity in Australia: narratives and strategies', presented at RC43 - Unreal Estate? Rethinking Housing, Class and Identity, City University, Hong Kong, 18 June 2017 - 21 June 2017
Martin CL, 2005, 'Government Housing: crime, order and security in public housing in New South Wales', presented at Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology annual conference, Wellington, New Zealand, -
Martin C; Mott P; Landles Z, 2002, 'Marginalising public housing tenants: from the 'Good Neighbour Policy' to 'renewable tenancies'', presented at Housing, crime and stronger communities, Melbourne, 06 May 2002 - 07 May 2002, http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/housing/martin.pdf
Martin CL; Stubbs J, 2001, 'Neither Panopticon nor Panacea: differing meanings of CCTV surveillance in Sydney', presented at Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology annual conference, Melbourne, -
Reports
Ong ViforJ R; Pawson H; Singh R; Martin C, 2020, Demand-side assistance in Australia’s rental housing market: exploring reform options, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Ltd, Melbourne, 342, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri8120801, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/342
valentine K; Cripps K; Flanagan K; Habibis D; Martin C; Blunden H, 2020, Inquiry into integrated housing support for vulnerable families, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne, 339, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri7116001, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/339
Martin C, 2019, Boarding Houses in New South Wales: growth, change and implications for equitable density, Shelter NSW, Sydney, No 64, http://www.shelternsw.org.au/uploads/1/2/1/3/121320015/cfrcjuly2019___boarding_houses_in_nsw___shelterbrief64.pdf
Powell A; Meltzer A; Martin C; Stone W; Liu E; Flanagan K; Muir K; Tually S, 2019, The construction of social housing pathways across Australia, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne, 316, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7118101, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/316
Pawson H; Martin C; van den Nouwelant R; Milligan V; Ruming K; Melo Zurita MDL, 2019, Build-to-Rent in Australia: product feasibility and potential affordable housing contribution, Landcom NSW, Sydney, https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/551/LCOM_0000_Build_to_Rent_Report_WEB_July_2019.pdf
Lawson J; Denham T; Dodson J; Flanagan K; Jacobs K; Martin C; van den Nouwelant R; Pawson H; Troy L, 2019, Social housing as infrastructure: rationale, prioritisation and investment pathway, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne, 315, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-5314001, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/315
Martin C; Habibis D; Burns L; Pawson H, 2019, Social housing legal responses to crime and anti-social behaviour: impacts on vulnerable families, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne, 314, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7116301, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/314
Liu E; Martin C; Easthope H, 2019, Poor-quality housing and low-income households: Review of evidence and options for reform, City Futures Research Centre, Sydney, Shelter Brief No. 63, https://www.shelternsw.org.au/blog/poor-quality-housing-and-low-income-households
Flanagan K; Martin C; Jacobs K; Lawson J, 2019, A conceptual analysis of social housing as infrastructure, AHURI Ltd, Melbourne, 309, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-4114101, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/34861/AHURI-Final-Report-309-A-conceptual-analysis-of-social-housing-as-infrastructure.pdf
Crommelin L; Troy L; Martin C; Parkinson S, 2018, Technological disruption in private housing markets: the case of Airbnb, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited, Melbourne, AHURI Final Report No. 305, 305, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7115201, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/305
Muir K; Martin C; Liu E; Kaleveld L; Flatau P; Etuk L; Pawson H, 2018, Amplify Insights: Housing Affordability and Homelessness, Centre for Social Impact UNSW, Sydney, http://www.csi.edu.au/news/national-housing-affordability-framework-urgently-needed-address-critical-lack-affordable-housing-problem-affecting-everyone-says-new-report/
Hulse K; Parkinson S; Martin C, 2018, Inquiry into the future of the private rental sector, AHURI, Melbourne, AHURI Final Reports, 303, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-5112001, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/24695/AHURI_Final_report_303_Inquiry_into_the_future_of_the_private_rental_sector.pdf
Hulse K; Martin C; James A; Stone W, 2018, Private rental in transition: institutional change, technology and innovation in Australia, AHURI Ltd, Melbourne, AHURI Final Reports, 296, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-5112101, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/296
Martin C; Hulse K; Pawson H, 2018, The changing institutions of private rental housing: an international review, AHURI, Melbourne, AHURI Final Report, Final Report 292, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7112201, https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/292
Troy L; Martin C, 2017, Queensland Rental Vulnerability Index, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/396/RVI_final_to_TQ_public.pdf
Milligan VR; Pawson H; Phillips, R; Martin, C, 2017, Developing the scale and capacity of Australia’s affordable housing industry, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Melbourne Australia, online, AHURI Final Report, 278, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7108402., http://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/278
Pawson H; Martin C; Flanagan K; Phillips R, 2016, Recent housing transfer experience in Australia: Implications for affordable housing industry development (AHURI Final Report #273), Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 273, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7108101, http://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/273
Milligan V; Martin C; Phillips R; Liu EY; Pawson H; Spinney A, 2016, Profiling Australia's Affordable Housing Industry (AHURI Final Report #268), Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited, Melbourne, Final Report 268, http://dx.doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-7108401, http://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/268
Martin CL, 2015, Heritage and social housing: implications for repairs, maintenance, modifications and redevelopments, Shelter NSW, Sydney
Martin CL, 2007, Shelter - Hot Topics 57, State Library of NSW, Sydney, Hot Topics: legal issues in plain language, 57, http://www.legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/hot_topics/pdf/shelter_57.pdf
Martin CL; Blunden H, 2004, Leaking Roofs: Australian tenancy law, Tenants' Union of NSW, Sydney
Theses / Dissertations
Martin CL, 2011, Government Housing: governing crime and disorder in public housing in New South Wales, University of Sydney