Australians are paying record-high rents across all the capital cities as low vacancy rates mean tenants are facing “a landlord’s market”. Source: ABC News.
Data from property website Domain has revealed a renewed acceleration in rental growth across the capitals, led by Sydney’s strongest quarterly increase in four years.
Combined capital city house rents increased by $20 over the June quarter, taking annual growth to its strongest pace in almost two years, according to Domain’s June Quarter 2026 Rent Report.
Unit rents rose by a more modest $5, highlighting a growing divergence between the two rental markets.
Sydney recorded its largest quarterly rent increase in four years, with house rents up $50 to a record $850 a week.
Brisbane house rents rose $20 over the quarter to a record $700 a week.
Darwin overtook Perth as Australia’s second most expensive rental market for houses and recorded the strongest annual rental growth.
Domain chief retail economist Nicola Powell said renters were “operating in a landlord’s market”.
Separate figures from realestate.com.au’s Market Insight report showed over the June quarter, the national median weekly advertised rent grew 3.1 per cent to $670, a new high.
Annually, it pushed national median rents up 6.4 per cent, realestate.com.au said.
It found renters were paying $12,480 more in June 2026, on average nationally, compared to five years ago.
With vacancy rates near record lows nationally, and housing supply remaining constrained, tenants are expected to face more challenging rental conditions, the Domain report noted.
The findings are unsurprising to real estate agent Tanja Cosic, who sees the demand for rentals daily.
Ms Cosic said the housing cost squeeze had more Australians moving in together and jointly applying for rentals to cover costs.
Student Heath Clark, who rents near his university in inner Sydney, said he had found the juggling act between study and part-time work difficult as he tried to keep up with the cost of his accommodation.
Domain’s Dr Powell said it was too early to say whether the government tax policy changes would impact rents.
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Australians face record-high rents across all capital cities: Domain report (By Yiying Li and David Taylor, ABC News)
