SYDNEY, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Although people in Sydney enjoy clean air, blue skies and spectacular ocean scenery, a new report has revealed that "housing stress" in the harbour city is now at an all time high.

According to the Melbourne Institute of Household Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) findings, when housing expenditures account for more than 30 percent of total household income, it inevitably causes "household pressure."

From 2013 to 2016, 13 percent of the bottom 40 percent of income earners were well above this marker in Sydney, making it the highest percentage seen since the survey began in 2001.

Across the rest of the country, Brisbane came in at 10.5 percent, Melbourne hit 9.7 percent and Perth reached 8.8 percent.

HILDA professor Roger Wilkins explained that although the survey takes into account property owners and people paying mortgages, its renters are those who are particularly "stressed."

"In the inner urban areas of major cities, we are seeing quite high rents which are driving a lot of the results," he said.

To address the issue, the Tenants' Union of New South Wales State senior policy officer Leo Patterson Ross has called on the government to examine rental reforms to ease the pressure.

"Many young people are staying at home longer due to the high cost of housing," he told local media.

"We are seeing more-and-more people in their 30s and even 40s renting with their children and our rental system is very unstable."