Key points Australia’s rental vacancy rate held at 1.2% for the fourth month in a row. National rents increased by 4.9% annually, with house and unit rents up by 6.1% and 4.6% respectively. Hobart, Perth and Adelaide remain the most competitive markets for tenants, with vacancy rates stuck b...
Read More
National vacancy rate stays at 1.2% Australia’s rental vacancy rate didn’t budge in August, sitting at 1.2%, according to the latest data from SQM Research. There were 37,742 vacant properties across the country, only 121 fewer than in July. It paints a fairly steady picture of the market, with...
Read More
Australia’s August 2025 property update: vacancy rates hit 1.2%, rents climb and house prices surge as spring market momentum builds. Vacancy rates Vacancy pressures showed little sign of easing in July, with the national vacancy rate edging down to 1.2%, its lowest level in more than a year (S...
Read More
Australia’s rental and property markets show signs of seasonal adjustment, with vacancy rates edging up slightly, though experts warn the market remains tight, especially in key capitals. Vacancy rates Mid-July SQM Research has reported a slight uplift in vacancy rates across June from 1.2% in ...
Read More
Australia’s rental market has shown dynamic shifts over the past year, with vacancy rates stabilising across most capital cities while reflecting notable changes compared to May 2024. The national vacancy rate held steady at 1.2% in May 2025, after 1.3% in April 2025, marking a slight monthly de...
Read More
Vacancy rates The total number of vacant residential properties nationwide rose to 39,378 in April 2025, up 18.7% from 33,177 in April 2024, according to SQM Research’s monitoring of unique online rental listings. Melbourne recorded the highest vacancy rate at 1.8%, up significantly from 1.1% ...
Read More
Vacancy rates According to SQM Research, Australia's residential dwelling vacancy rate decreased back to 1.1% in March 2025, down from 1.5% in January 2025. The total number of rental vacancies fell to 34,428 dwellings. Sydney's rental vacancy rate decreased to 1.3%, with 9,412 rental dwelling...
Read More
There was a slight easing of pressure on the rental market with February's vacancy rates increasing or holding steady for all capital cities. There was no increase in total property listings, suggesting advertised rental properties were taking about 3 to 4 days longer to rent and occupy on averag...
Read More
Major changes to rental laws in NSW start on Monday 19 May 2025. These changes are part of the NSW Government commitment to deliver a fairer, more stable rental market. The reforms were developed following extensive public consultation with renters, landlords, real estate professionals and indus...
Read More
The housing crisis is far from over, with vacancy rates dropping to 1% in January, and a marginal increase in rental values occurring across most cities. Sales asking prices also experienced movement, with a slight increase overall, alongside a significant increase in listings. February brought ...
Read More
Vacancy rates increased to 1.6% in December with a marginal decrease to asking rents. Sales asking prices also experienced marginal movement, with a decrease overall, whilst boasting an influx of new listings in the new year. Vacancy rates In December 2024, SQM Research reported a slight increa...
Read More
Vacancy rates increased to 1.4% in November with a marginal change to asking rents. Sales asking prices also experienced marginal movement, with an increase in overall, old and distressed listings, contrasted by a seasonal decrease in new listings. Vacancy rates In December 2024, SQM Research r...
Read More
Navigating Australia's property market is becoming increasingly complex. With record-low rental vacancies in cities like Perth and Adelaide and seasonal shifts impacting markets such as Darwin, the landscape is ever-changing. As we approach the end of 2024, this update dives into key trends shapi...
Read More
Vacancy rates decreased to 1.2% in September with marginal change to asking rents. Sales asking prices also experienced marginal movement, with an increase in total property listings, including distressed listings. Vacancy rates In September 2024, SQM Research reported a slight decline in Austr...
Read More
In August vacancy rates held steady nationally at 1.3% with a marginal decrease in the number of rental vacancies with an additional 36 properties available in August than in July. Compared to this time last year, vacancy rates increased by 0.1%. Vacancy Rates In August vacancy rates held stead...
Read More
In August 2024, national vacancy rates held steady at 1.3% and rental prices saw a notable decline in most areas. Vacancy rates In August vacancy rates held steady nationally at 1.3%, with a slight decrease in the number of rental vacancies in Australia from 40,486 in June to 38,864 vacancies i...
Read More
Vacancy rates Vacancy rates slightly increased to 1.3% over the month of June with the total number of vacancies increasing from 35,641 in May to 40,486 vacant properties in June. Across the past 30 days, vacancy rate increases were seen in: Sydney, from 1.4% in May to 1.7% in June Melbourne,...
Read More
Vacancy rates ease in most regions, while capital city rental prices decline for the first time since April 2020. Vacancy rates Vacancy rates slightly increased to 1.2% over the month of May with the total number of vacancies increasing from 33,177 in April to 35,641 vacant properties in May. ...
Read More
Vacancy rates marginally increased in April following seasonal patterns and rental prices experienced softening in May. Vacancy Rates Vacancy rates increased to 1.1% over the month of April with the total number of vacancies now standing at 33,177 residential properties with the easing seen acr...
Read More
Vacancy rates Vacancy rates held steady in March at 1%, with a slight increase in the number of available properties with 31,356 available residential properties. Perth and Adelaide recorded the lowest vacancy rates at 0.5% with regional areas of South West Perth, South Western Sydney, Liverpoo...
Read More
The housing shortage crisis continues to cause concern with vacancy rates decreasing to 1.0% in February and rental prices continuing to rise in many cities. Vacancy rates Decreasing vacancy rates in February demonstrates that the housing shortage crisis is continuing to impact renters across t...
Read More
Vacancy rates decreased sharply in January to 1.1%, rental asking prices continued to rise and February saw a surge in new listing activity. Vacancy rates The residential vacancy rates decreased sharply from 1.3% in December to 1.1% in January, with the total number of vacancies decreasing to 3...
Read More
Residential vacancy rates rose slightly in December, with seasonal patterns affecting most areas; rental values increased overall despite more properties entering the market, and property listings dropped in January with a strong start to the auction season expected to boost February's housing ac...
Read More
The national residential rental vacancy rate experienced a seasonal stabilisation in November with a marginal increase to 1.1%, while asking prices continue to increase for both houses and units nationwide. Vacancy rates The national residential rental vacancy rate stabilised in November with a...
Read More
Is it after hours, the weekend or during a holiday period and you're having electrical issues? Read on to find out more about how to identify what constitutes an urgent electrical callout, along with some handy tips from the amazing team at Well Connected Electrical Services... Urgent: 🆘 No powe...
Read More
National residential rental vacancy rates continue to fall, with October experiencing a 1.0% vacancy, tightening the rental crisis across most capital cities and regional areas. Over the past 30 days, national rental values increased by a combined 1.6%, while combined capital city and national sa...
Read More
National rental vacancy rates fell for a second consecutive month to 1.1% in September and weekly asking prices rose by 2.6% for houses and decreased -1.7% for units. New listings increased by 2.7% nationally and national asking prices increased by 1.3% for houses and 0.7% for units. Vacancy rat...
Read More
In a tough rental market, you need to stand out from the crowd. Often, we receive multiple applications for a property, and they are all very similar. So, here's my top tips… ✅ When you first start looking, ask your current agent for a copy of your rental ledger.✅ Phone the agent and introduce y...
Read More
National rental vacancy rates fell to 1.2% in August, putting more pressure on the rental housing market in Australia. A significant increase in listings for sale in September, alongside an increase in asking prices marks the strongest September recorded since 2018. Vacancy rates National renta...
Read More
National rental vacancy rates remained steady at 1.3% in July, national rental asking prices increased by 1.9% for houses and 1.4% for units. National total property listings for sale rose in the last 30 days by 2%. Vacancy rates National rental vacancy rates remained steady at 1.3% in July whi...
Read More
Rental vacancy rates experienced a sharp increase to 1.6% in June from 1.2% in May. Across the past 30 days to 4 August 2023 national rental asking prices remained steady, and property prices increased by 1.4%. The number of listings decreased by 4.4% significantly more than the historical season...
Read More
Vacancy rates remain steady at 1.2%, National rental asking prices increase marginally by 0.45% over the past 30 days, and property prices decrease by 2%. Vacancy rates The number of vacant properties increased by 122 properties nationally from 36,785 in April to 36,907 in May, with the vacancy...
Read More
SQM Research has revealed national residential property rental vacancy rates continued to rise to 1.2% in April 2023, marking the third consecutive monthly rise. Across the past 30 days, national asking rents increased by 0.2%, and national vendor asking prices recorded a second consecutive month...
Read More
The national residential vacancy rate rose slightly to 1.1% in March from 1.0% recorded in February. Across the capital cities, there has been an increase in vacancies in Brisbane, Perth, and Hobart, while Sydney and Melbourne remained steady. Asking rents have risen across most regional and capi...
Read More
SQM Research reported that the nationwide residential rental vacancy rate remained unchanged in February at 1.0% while the number of rental vacancies in Australia slightly increased by 448 dwellings. Over the past 30 days, national asking rents have remained steady with a 0% rise for houses and d...
Read More
The national vacancy rate decreased in January, back to 1.0% after the seasonal rise recorded in December. Overall capital city rents rose by 2.4%, with Melbourne experiencing the highest increase at 2.7%, while Hobart and Canberra decreased by 2.9% and 1.3% respectively. Vacancy rates SQM Rese...
Read More
REINSW recently sought guidance from NSW Fair Trading in relation to the queries we've received from agents about different rent bidding scenarios. Read on to find out Fair Trading's responses to our members' questions below. Q: The Property and Stock Agents Amendment (Solicited Rent Bidding) Re...
Read More
The national vacancy rate increased to 1.3% in December, which has been attributed to seasonal factors by SQM Research, with a warning still in place for extremely tight rental market conditions in January and February. National weekly asking prices have increased by 1.1% over the past 30 days (1...
Read More
Looking for real estate terms, abbreviations and jargon? Here’s the ultimate glossary of real estate terms and abbreviations updated in 2023 from the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA), Property Council of Australia, Australian Property Institute, realestate.com.au and more. How to use t...
Read More
The national vacancy rate in November remained unchanged at 1%. While the CBD Market has returned to more normal levels of occupancy and an easing in some regional areas has been seen, nationally weekly asking rents continued to increase over the past month at 1.6% for houses and 2.3% for units. ...
Read More
Continuing recent trends, the most recent data has demonstrated an overall rise in asking rents and a decrease in vacancy rates — further tightening the market. SQM Research predicts that the rental market strain may not ease until late 2023 at the earliest. Vacancy rates With an update to Sept...
Read More
The name’s Bond. Rental Bond. And just like 007, there can be a bit of mystery surrounding these bonds. Just whose money is it? Who can access it? Under what circumstances? They’re a source of confusion for landlords and tenants alike, so here’s a rundown on what you need to know… A rental bond ...
Read More
Australia is currently experiencing the lowest vacancy rate we have witnessed since 2006, remaining steady at 0.9%. With the rental market remaining exceptionally tight, the past month saw another increase in asking rents. Additionally, the increased cash rate suggests inflation will peak at a fa...
Read More
The national residential vacancy rate has fallen to the lowest rate since 2006, sitting at 0.9%. Over the past month to the 4th of October, weekly asking rents have increased by 1% for houses and 1.1% for units. Compared to the same time last year, Sydney home asking prices have decreased by 0.8%...
Read More
To help you move into your new home, Frontdoor has partnered with MyConnect to assist you with your utility connections. The article below from MyConnect explains more… There’s plenty to worry about when moving into a new home, but one that can easily be ticked off is ensuring the lights are on ...
Read More
The national residential property rental vacancy rates remained unchanged over the month at 1%. Over the month to 6 September 2022, asking prices across Australia rose by 0.3% for houses and remained unchanged for units. The RBA has raised the cash rate by 0.5% for the fourth month in a row bring...
Read More
The latest research reveals that distressed listings continued to increase across Australia. Additionally, vacancy rates have remained steady over the past month, with experts indicating that the rental market remains in favour of landlords. Vacancy rate The most recently available vacancy rate...
Read More
In this article, EBM, a company that specialises in landlord insurance, explains the difference in insurance policies: Some landlords mistakenly think that standard home and contents insurance is the right choice for their investment property. That could prove costly if they need to make a claim...
Read More
The latest research reveals vacancy rights are tightening even further across Australia. Experts suggest this will lead to significant ramifications for headline inflation. Additionally, rental prices continue to grow across most cities, while house prices are beginning to decline slightly compar...
Read More
How quickly does a year pass? It’s tax time again; for many property investors, some of the costs of owning a rental can be claimed as a tax deduction. In the lead-up to the end of the financial year, the ATO lets taxpayers know their key priorities when assessing returns. This year, the ATO is ...
Read More
Wet and windy weather has wreaked havoc on rental properties. Ahead of more bad weather, ensure your investment property is prepared with these maintenance tips... Winter should be all about cozying up on the couch with a mug of something hot – but all too often, landlords and their agents are c...
Read More
The latest research reveals the national residential property rental vacancy rates increased to 1.1% in April 2022, up from 1% in March. Across Australia’s regional areas, vacancy rates remained tight with the average rate sitting well below 1%. The RBA is expected to raise interest rates further...
Read More
EOFY is approaching! While you’re preparing your paperwork it’s the perfect time to take stock and consider what financial arrangements will serve you best in the year ahead. That includes your landlord insurance cover. This financial year, around 20 percent of taxpayers (around 2.2 million peop...
Read More
Self-managing your investment property might seem simple but there is a lot more involved than just collecting the rent. Three-quarters of all landlords opt to have a professional manage their rental. What are the benefits and how do you choose the best PM? Unpaid rent… absconding tenants… damag...
Read More
How old do you need to be to sign a lease? While the majority of renters across Australia are over 18, there are situations where people under 18 want to rent a property. How old does a person need to be to sign a lease? Do the rules differ depending on the state? In Australia, it’s illegal t...
Read More
Vacancy rates have continued to drop, reaching their lowest point since 2006. Compared to the same time last year, vacancies have halved. Accordingly, rental values continue to rise Australia-wide for both homes and units. Additionally, for the first time in over 11 years, the RBA has made the de...
Read More
A national rental crisis is emerging as vacancy rates drop to a new 16-year low. It is predicted vacancy rates will likely drop again over the coming months. Additionally, capital city rents will likely rise by over 10% in 2022. Currently, rental rises present the biggest increase since the 1970s...
Read More
Homeownership is changing in Australia, with many buyers moving away from the traditional house instead of becoming open to purchasing dwellings of different shapes and sizes. Depending on what you are looking for in a home, one of these types of properties may be more suitable than the traditio...
Read More
Over the past month, rental vacancy rates hit a 16-year low of 1.3% while rents in capital cities rose by 7.5%. National asking rents grew by 0.7% for homes to $560 per week, and 1.9% for units, reaching $424 a week. Asking prices Australia-wide grew by 1.8% for homes and 3.6% for units. Vacancy...
Read More
There are certain rooms in a home that, when in pristine condition, will maximise your rental returns. If your budget doesn't allow for a more extensive renovation, we highly recommend keeping the carpet and paint looking great. It's quick and relatively inexpensive when you take into account the...
Read More
Body corporate fees - also called owner's corporation fees or levies – are vital for ensuring strata properties run smoothly. While the fees can seem like a burden, having adequate funds available for the upkeep of common areas and more significant maintenance and repairs means the property will...
Read More
There is a range of tools and resources available to landlords to help you find quality tenants. Tenant databases can be a helpful resource to check and determine if prospective tenants have any "black marks" against their names. Read on to see the process and what database we at Frontdoor, find ...
Read More
The idea of allowing pets at your rental property may send a shiver up your spine. What if a pet damages the property? What if a noisy dog upsets the neighbours? There is a lot to consider, and it may seem easier to decide no pets are allowed. However, with more and more people owning pets today...
Read More
There are a few things you need to consider when renovating an investment. Creating a budget to pick the best fixtures and fittings and getting the administration and project management right is vital. Below, we outline some of the primary considerations. Make a project list Make a list of all ...
Read More
If any of your investment properties are at risk of termite infestation, then it's time to be proactive. The best way to prevent termites is by first understanding what attracts these pests in the first place. Here, we share some of the things you should do to protect your property so it's kept t...
Read More
It's almost the end of another financial year, and that means tax time. In this article, we outline a few things to get organised. Double-check and declare all income. If you've had more than one lease throughout the financial year, or you've used your property for a short-term rental, you may ...
Read More
Tax law in Australia is inherently complex. As an ever-evolving beast, a change in one area of tax law has implications across many other areas, especially regarding people's finances and investing. Negative gearing is one of these areas, and it's been a hot topic in recent years. Deciding whethe...
Read More
An essential factor in maintaining a profitable investment property portfolio is engaging a good property manager. While it might be tempting to manage everything yourself, a property manager not only knows the ins and outs of the market, but they have systems and processes to make sure everythin...
Read More
Ensuring your property listing looks attractive to prospective tenants is a vital part of leasing your property quickly. While it may seem like an extra expense, having your property staged is a great way to help prospective tenants feel at home as soon as they look at your property. In this arti...
Read More
Where to start? What to ask? We've put together some top questions to ask your property manager. + Do you offer a service guarantee? + Are you passionate about property management or is property management a side line to your sales business? + Can you offer me comprehensive landlord insurance ...
Read More
Being a landlord for the first time can be a daunting experience. As well as needing to know the legislation inside out, there is a myriad of issues that can arise. Read on to see the top top pitfalls that new landlords can find themselves in and just what they can do about it... Forming a direc...
Read More
A buyer's agent is a licensed real estate professional who specialise in searching, negotiating and purchasing property. They represent the buyers interests in a property transaction. On the other side of the transaction, the selling agent has the legal and ethical responsibility to achieve the ...
Read More
If you have a fully furnished property sitting empty for periods of time during the year, holiday rentals are the way to go. As fees are charged on a nightly basis and tend to be much higher than residential rentals, short term or holiday rentals have the potential to be very lucrative. Visit ou...
Read More
Who pays for water usage can be confusing for both property owners and tenants. For a landlord to be able to pass on water usage charges to the tenant, the residential property must be separately metered, meet the water efficiency measures, and the charges must not exceed the amount payable by t...
Read More
A well managed tenancy is more likely to be renewed, therefore if your current property manager is not exceeding your expectations, now is the time to change. Most property owners believe the time to change is when their tenants move out. This could not be farther from the truth. It’s important...
Read More
Your residential property manager can pay bills on your behalf from your rental income. Ensure you ask the relevant companies to direct any regular invoices to your Property Manager e.g. owner’s corporation fees, water and council rates and landlord insurance. At the end of the financial year a...
Read More