{
  "id": 12713090,
  "title": "Alarming data shows rental tenants have hit breaking point",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/alarming-data-shows-rental-tenants-have-hit-breaking-point",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T20:36:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/tenants-hit-breaking-point-record-rent-costs-according-to-domain/107238110"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A concerning trend emerges as rental tenants near their financial breaking point. Despite a scarcity of rental properties, landlords are finding it difficult to raise rents as tenants have reached their affordability limits. According to the latest data, rental prices are stagnant in most major cities and have even declined in a few over the past three months. Although the rental market is decelerating, with the vacancy rate increasing to 1 per cent, it remains significantly tighter than it was a year ago.\n\nWhile house rents in Australia have remained at record highs, averaging $700 per week in the September quarter, unit rents have increased by 1.5 per cent. However, this growth is occurring in cities with limited rental options. Domain's chief residential economist, Nicola Powell, highlights the disconnect between the rising vacancy rate and the lack of rental growth. Tenants' ability to tolerate further rent increases is now limiting the market's potential for expansion.\n\nDespite rents being at or near record highs in major cities like Sydney, Darwin, and Perth, most of this growth occurred earlier in the year. Rents in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide have flatlined over the past three months, while rents in Sydney and Canberra have actually decreased by $5 and $10, respectively. Only Darwin and Hobart have bucked the trend, with house rents rising by 5.3 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively.\n\nRenters are adapting to the market squeeze by seeking more affordable options, such as renting in less desirable locations, opting for shared housing, or adult children staying with their parents longer. Cameron Kusher of Kusher Consulting notes that while the market is slowing, with the national vacancy rate at 1 per cent, it is still much tighter than a year ago. One Nation's proposed migration plan, which aims to cut 750,000 temporary visas over three years to reduce rental inflation by 6.5 per cent, may provide some relief for renters, but Kusher believes it may not be sufficient given the significant rent increases over recent years. Changes in this year's budget that have made property investment less attractive are also still affecting the rental market, but their impact seems to be less severe than initially feared.",
  "summary": "New data from Domain shows that despite severe rental shortages, landlords aren't having much luck increasing rent as tenants hit affordability limits.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}