Specialist residential developer The Living Company (TLCo) has appointed head builders for two major Sydney developments, locking almost 1,400 new build-to-rent and co-living homes directly into construction as Australia struggles to meet national housing targets.
The builder appointments convert recent planning approvals into active delivery at a time when national homebuilding figures continue to lag behind the National Housing Accord’s target of 1.2 million new homes by 2029.
In its primary contract, TLCo named DASCO Australia as the design and construct partner for the AU$1.5 billion Marrickville Timberyards precinct.
The selection follows a 12-month early contractor involvement process, drawing on DASCO’s experience delivering over 7,000 apartments across New South Wales.
Set to become Australia’s largest purpose-built build-to-rent community, the 76,824-square-metre Marrickville site will feature 1,180 rental apartments spread across seven buildings ranging from five to 14 storeys.
Offering layouts from studios to four-bedroom apartments, Stage One completion is scheduled for late 2028, followed by Stage Two in mid-2029.
Simultaneously, TLCo has contracted Infinity Constructions to build Scape Eveleigh, a 200-bed purpose-built co-living project in Redfern.
Located 800 metres from Redfern Station, the car-free precinct was designed alongside First Nations-led practice Yerrabingin. On-site construction begins in July 2026, with opening planned for May 2028.
TLCo Joint CEO Stephen Gaitanos said purpose-built rental communities offer scale and speed to help ease market pressure.
“Delivery is the real challenge in Australian housing and build-to-rent solves it, at scale,” Gaitanos said.
“For too long we’ve measured success by announcements and approvals. What really matters is construction contracts, workers on site and homes opening their doors.
“This month we’ve locked in almost 1,400 new rental homes. That’s not a promise about future supply — it’s housing that’s now moving into delivery.”
Both developments will be retained under long-term institutional ownership and managed by TLCo as part of its pipeline targeting 100,000 build-to-rent dwellings across Australia by 2035.