Renters are second-class citizens

Friday 30 January 2026

Seriously, who would want to be a tenant in Australia?

Advertised rents have soared by 43% over the past five calendar years, adding nearly $10,700 to the annual cost of renting for the median household:

As a result, tenant households are paying a record share of income to rent the median home:

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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.