For anyone renting a home or searching for one, Australia’s housing market has become nothing short of daunting.
With prices soaring and vacancies scarce, the country’s rental crisis is leaving countless Australians on the brink — struggling to keep up with payments or even find somewhere to live at all.
This difficult reality was laid bare in a recent Finder survey of 343 renters that revealed 2 in 5 (39 per cent) – equivalent to 1.1 million people – have gone gone to great lengths in the past year to cut their rental costs or avoid paying rent altogether.
Some have made drastic changes:
Others have tried different strategies. Six per cent took on a housemate to share the load, another six per cent successfully negotiated a rent reduction, and the same number applied for government housing assistance. But for some, the situation is already critical — 6 per cent have fallen behind on their rent, while 3 per cent admitted they stopped paying altogether for a period of time.
Richard Whitten, home loans expert at Finder, said the data shows how deeply the rental crisis is hurting Australians.
“There’s a clear limit to what people can afford,” Whitten said.
“Too many tenants are finding themselves in financial stress because of how much they have to pay.”
While rising rents are affecting people of all ages, older Australians are among those suffering the most.
Findings from Anglicare’s latest Rental Affordability Index reveal a stark reality: just 0.3 per cent of available rentals across the country are affordable for someone receiving the age pension.
The report, which analysed 51,238 rental listings nationwide, found that only 165 properties fell within the affordability range for a single person on the age pension. For couples, the situation is only slightly better, with 0.7 per cent of listings deemed affordable—a record low.
Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said “people are desperate for action” given the current state of the rental market.
“Older people are being locked out of housing right when they need security the most. This makes it harder to get care at home, and it makes it harder for renters to age in place,” Chambers said.
“Our Rental Affordability Snapshot shows that a person on the Age Pension can afford just 0.3% of rental listings across Australia. That includes the highest rate of rent assistance.
“For couples, it’s 0.7%. That’s a record low, even after years of gloomy results.
“In all, there are 95 electorates across the country that don’t have a single affordable listing for a person on the Age Pension. This should be a massive wake-up call about the depths of the rental crisis.”
Despite the grim outlook, Whitten says there are still steps renters can take to ease the burden.
“Extending your search to surrounding suburbs, considering more modest properties, or even negotiating directly with landlords can help,” Whitten advised.
“Some renters may also be eligible for government rent assistance.”
While the rental market remains tough, exploring every avenue of support — from rent assistance to advocacy services — can help renters regain some control and stability.