The rental situation in one of Australia's fastest growing cities is so dire that desperate renters are having to sleep in their cars and in caravan parks. Rental vacancy rates have plummeted below one per cent in most parts of the Gold Coast - down to below half a per cent in many suburbs - including Burleigh, Arundel, Coolangatta, Coomera and Varsity Lakes. The rental squeeze is being driven by a range of factors, including Covid refugees coming from Melbourne and Sydney and also returning home from overseas. The Gold Coast's 'surf, sun and sand' reputation can be a trap for people who try to move there without enough money, as one community manager warns 'don't come here' unless you are loaded