The shocking decline in Australian rental affordability

Monday 15 December 2025

Life has gotten significantly more difficult for Australian tenants over the past five years.

According to Cotality, the national median advertised rent soared by 43.8% over the five years to September 2025.

As a result, the percentage of median household income required to meet the median advertised rent rose to a record high of 33.4% in the September quarter:

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.