National rental prices rise to half average Australian income

Housing advocacy group Everybody's Home has discovered that renting an apartment in Australia now costs more than half of a single worker's median take-home pay in every major city. In Sydney, a median rent would consume 69% of a $70,000 earner's weekly income. Even in Adelaide, the least expensive capital, rent would exceed half a worker's pay.

The group is demanding increased social housing and restrictions on rent hikes. The average apartment now demands half of the average Australian income to be paid in rent. The 2026 Priced Out report revealed that apartments cost $614 per week on average, representing 56% of a person's weekly income earning $70,000, near Australia's median income of $74,100.

Everybody's Home spokesperson Maiy Azize described this as a crisis worsening for country renters. She noted that high earners are still spending over a third of their income on rent. For someone with an income between $70,000 and $80,000 living in a city, rent takes up two-thirds of their income. Unaffordable rents plague all Australian capitals, with northern WA, the Gold Coast, and Sydney being the most expensive.

The report found Perth and Western Australia to be particularly costly. The Gold Coast has become increasingly expensive, even for those earning $130,000. A one percent increase in rent is reported annually, despite government predictions of a mere $2 per week increase. Azize criticized the industry's claim that rent hikes are justified by policy changes.

She believed the industry should not deceive the public. Positive changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax were acknowledged by Azize, as they align with her organization's long-standing calls for fairer housing. However, she emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to limit rent increases, as the situation has become dire for many renters.

The report recommends the Australian government commit to building 940,000 public and community homes in the next 15 years, implementing rent increase limits, and ending no-grounds evictions. The group argues that government intervention is necessary, as the private sector has largely abandoned its role in housing since the past four decades.