Survey finds renters on move to find stability

The rental shortage that caused such an outcry in the aftermath of Covid is back with the national vacancy rate at just 1.47%.

Scarcity of rental properties is forcing many Australians to look for new, longer term leases for fear they are going to have their current ones terminated by landlords seeking higher rents.

A new survey called Renter’s Voice 2025, conducted for rent.com.au, finds one-in-five renters are searching for a new rental despite the shortage.

The survey illustrates the pressure building on young renters who are also saving for a deposit to buy their first home.

It tells us that relying on rentals is increasingly precarious, and the desire for stability and certainty can only be achieved by owning your own home.

Perhaps the survey’s most potent evidence is the trend towards long-term renting: 38.1% of respondents have been leasing for more than five years. For many, renting is no longer a temporary stage but a necessary long-term arrangement.

The Renter's Voice survey found:

• 61.9% of respondents favour a house.

• 28.3% would like to buy an apartment or unit.

  
  

The high cost of houses has driven both renters and first-time buyers towards high-quality units, leading to strong unit rental growth and capital gains in that segment. 

Many analysts predict that in an affordability-constrained environment, unit prices will see faster percentage growth than houses over the next two years.

For aspiring first-time buyers, this means two things:

Entry Point – Units offer a practical, lower-cost way to get your foot on the property ladder, allowing you to benefit from the current government schemes.

Investment Resilience – A quality unit in a high-demand, low-vacancy market is an excellent first asset.