Renters across the country will remain under financial pressure for years to come as Australia fails to build enough new houses. Source: The Australian.
Nationally, the median weekly rent lifted 1.6 per cent over the December 2025 quarter to sit at a new high of $650 per week.
Australian renters on average need to find an extra $1560 per year.
REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty says Australia’s rising rents are simply a “supply and demand imbalance”.
“We have seen population growth across the country, which means more demand for housing, and if we look at what is driving population growth, it is primarily overseas migration,” Ms Flaherty told NewsWire.
“When people first come to Australia, they are more likely to rent than own.”
Ms Flaherty bluntly warns the housing affordability constraint is likely to remain for years to come and grimly points out rental price increases could continue to outpace wage growth.
Sydney’s median rental asking price continued to climb 1.3 per cent across combined houses and units, an average price of $760 a week. To rent a house in Sydney will cost $800 a week, on average.
Hobart was the fastest growing capital city with combined dwelling prices surging 4.2 per cent over the last quarter or 9.1 per cent for the year, costing renters $573 a week.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock said record rents across the country were further proof the housing crisis was out of control.
“This Government needs to treat housing as a human right instead of giving billions of tax breaks to wealthy property investors,” Ms Pocock said.
“This is a system stacked against younger generations and people who haven’t won the intergenerational housing lottery.”
FULL STORY
Record rent surge leaves Australian renters paying thousands more (By Cameron Micallef, The Australian)
