Jim has begged Anthony Albanese to let him stay in his $2.2million Dulwich Hill home. Here's why Aussies say it's time for the 'entitled' bar owner to move out

Jim Flanagan living in PM's investment home He received eviction notice on May 8READ MORE: Albanese slaps down tenant whinging about eviction 

Australians have shown little sympathy for a small business owner begging Anthony Albanese not to kick him out of his rental home so he can sell the property.

Jim Flanagan, 45, has lived in one of Mr Albanese's investment properties in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill for four years.

But the struggling bar owner has now been given 90 days to pack up and leave because the Prime Minister wants to sell the three-bedroom townhouse, which is estimated to be worth around $2.2million.

Mr Flanagan, who runs a venue offering food, booze and live music in the same suburb, has described the eviction notice as a 'crippling blow' and has gone on national television to air his woes.

He continued his attack on Thursday morning, lashing out at the 'power imbalance' between landlords and renters.

Australians were left unsympathetic after it was revealed Mr Albanese had given Mr Flanagan plenty of notice and that he refused to raise the rent like other landlords.

Mr Flanagan's ex-partner even posted a video gushing about the Prime Minister and how understanding he had been of their situation.

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Jim Flanagan, 45, has lived in one of Mr Albanese's investment properties in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill for four years

'This bloke needs to get a grip on reality,' one wrote online.

'He's had close to four years of sub-market rent. That's a pretty fair bite at the cherry no matter who your landlord is.'

'What an extreme level of entitlement. There is actually no point in landlords offering lower rent than market,' another said.

'People will always want more and are never grateful. How about saying thank you for your years of low rent instead of bad mouthing Mr Albanese to the press.'

During the Covid pandemic, Mr Albanese reduced the rent for Mr Flanagan and his then-partner to $680 a week and hasn't raised it since.

The market rate for a three-bedroom property in the area is currently around $800 a week.

Aussies have pointed out that Mr Flanagan has been luckier than most in the rental market.

Another resident accused the renter of starting the media firestorm to to stake his claim on '15 minutes of opportunistic fame'.

'He's a business owner that's not quite in the vulnerable category,' another said.

'I don't see Jim as a vulnerable Australian,' a second added.

Mr Flanagan's ex-partner Chrissy Flanagan detailed her support for Mr Albanese as her landlord in a TikTok shared in April, 2022.

She said it was 'amazing' that Mr Albanese had reduced their rent by 25 per cent and two years later had still not increased it.

'I don't think other people are still getting that sort of support from their landlord,' she said.

'But what it shows is that he lives his actual values and quietly and in private.

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'How cool is it that a politician will do whatever they can do on a small scale of the things they want to do on a big scale.'

Ms Flanagan said during the pandemic the PM even visited her shop to do a 'welfare check'.

'He'd just been walking around the main street, checking in on businesses and how they were going,' she said.

'And before that he was just walking around the Centrelink line where he'd been talking to people.

'He didn't bring media with him, he didn't bring staff with him, he just came to say ''hi'' and see if we were okay. He's just a really good dude. Vote one Albo.'

Mr Flanagan said he was reluctant to go public about his situation but felt he had no other choice.

Mr Albanese has decided to sell the property and has said he has been more than a fair landlord to Mr Flanagan

'This will kill me, it's a crippling blow right now,' he told the the Daily Telegraph.

A shocked Mr Flanagan received the eviction notice from his real estate on May 8, which informed him that Mr Albanese 'could be selling the house at some stage'.

'Please be advised that the landlord requires vacant possession of the property… 90 days after the service of this letter,' the notice stated.

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The small business owner is on a month-to-month lease and knows the prime minister has the right to sell the house.

But Mr Flanagan has been spurred into trying to stay on after reading about the government's $1.9billion package to slash rental costs for vulnerable people announced in Tuesday's Federal Budget.

'It just doesn't sit well when (Mr Albanese) is trying to be sympathetic with the majority of Australians who are, like me, finding the current climate extremely challenging,' he said.

The small business owner appeared on Sunrise on Thursday morning and said there was a 'power imbalance between renters and landlords'.

'It leaves me in a pretty tricky circumstance. I run a small business. A very short walk from where I live. Options in the rental market generally in Sydney are extremely limited and it's a difficult set of circumstances for anyone,' he said.

Mr Albanese says he has had changes in his personal life and has decided to sell the property.

'He has every right to do this. I'm not suggesting that he doesn't. But I think renters again are really exposed at the moment, that power imbalance has been exacerbated by the rental crisis and the cost-of-living crisis,' Mr Flanagan said.

'I guess we're just looking for again a little bit more of a considered communicative approach. Maybe a discussion. I certainly wasn't even provided with the opportunity to discuss an increase of the rent, staying a little bit longer, potentially if the house was going on the market.

Mr Flanagan has been given 90 days to vacate the Dulwich Hill property (pictured)

'I guess we're just looking for a little bit more engagement when it comes to kicking us out of a property.'

Mr Flanagan said he voted for Labor in the 2022 election and mostly supports the party's policies, but is doing it tough as the bar he owns is struggling.

Mr Albanese has since slapped down Mr Flanagan's plea, claiming that he has been a 'more than fair owner'.

'The person who's in the property, in his own words, [says] I have been a more than fair owner of that property,' Mr Albanese told ABC Radio National host Patricia Karvelas.

He said he was 'entitled' to sell the property ahead of his upcoming wedding to partner Jodie Haydon.

Mr Albanese was asked if he would consider allowing Mr Flanagan to stay in the property a little longer.

But he claimed the bar owner has refused to engage with his rental agent.

'Well, he's refused to have discussions with the real estate agent,' Mr Albanese claimed.

'That's a matter for him. I wish him well. He has been well looked after for a long period of time.

'I am entitled to make decisions in my personal life including selling a property that I own because I wish to move on in my personal life in a different direction.

'The property was bought when my personal circumstances were different.'