More than half of Australia’s renters are struggling financially

Thursday 24 September 2026

Australian renters have been hit with a circa 50% increase in advertised rents since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Cotality, adding more than $12,500 to the annual cost of renting for the median Australian tenant.

While the rental market is showing signs of easing, with vacancy rates rising and growth slowing, rents continue to rise much faster than wages.

So, rather than improving, the rental market is worsening more slowly than before.

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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.