Australia's rental market has experienced its slowest price growth in almost two years, defying expectations of a surge in rents following budget changes to investor tax breaks.
In Sydney, rents fell 0.4 per cent in the September quarter, leading a broader slowdown in rental growth as vacancy rates edged up across the nation, data provider Cotality reported.
Across Australia, rents grew at 0.5 per cent in the quarter, down from the 1.6 per cent increase in the June quarter and 2.1 per cent in the three months to March.
Annual rental growth eased from 5.9 per cent to 5.5 per cent, as the national median dwelling rent hit a record high $713 per week.
Cotality figures are based on advertised rents, a measure different to that used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to factor rental costs into inflation calculations.
Why is the rental market softening?
Cotality research director Tim Lawless said the market was softening as more renters reached their affordability limits and adjusted their household sizes.
"With rental affordability so stretched and broader cost-of-living pressures, rental demand is likely to be restructuring as people form larger households, stay in the family home for longer or look further afield for more affordable accommodation," he said.
Vacancy rates, which had been historically tight since the post-pandemic migration spike, have rebounded.
As net overseas migration has since normalised, annual population growth eased to 1.4 per cent in the year to March 2026, below the pre-COVID-19 decade average of 1.6 per cent, Lawless said.
Vacancy rates are climbing
After reaching a record low of 1.5 per cent in February, the national vacancy rate climbed to 1.7 per cent in the March and June quarters and hit 2.1 per cent in September.
In Sydney, the vacancy rate was 2.5 per cent, compared with 1.8 per cent a year earlier.
"Rents have risen substantially faster than incomes over the past six years, while cost-of-living pressures are likely to remain elevated. Rental growth appears to have reached, or is close to, a ceiling," Lawless said.
"Vacancy rates may remain relatively tight, but renters simply have less capacity to absorb the rate of increases we've seen over recent years."
Many observers had predicted an increase in rental costs following changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax announced in the federal budget.
