The supply of affordable private rental housing in Australian cities: short-term and longer-term changes

Abstract

This research charts the changes in the supply of affordable and available private rental housing for lower-income households between 2011 and 2016, and is the latest in a series of projects detailing affordable rental housing supply every five years since 1996 using Census data. There is strong evidence of structural change in the private rental market, with an increase in privately rented dwellings affordable by Q3–Q5 households, while the market is not supplying sufficient rental properties for lower-income Q1 and Q2 households.

The research found an acute, and increasing, a national shortage of private rental dwellings for Q1 households (lowest quintile household incomes): 212,000 dwellings in 2016. This shortage increased to 305,000 affordable and available dwellings as many affordable dwellings are occupied by households on higher incomes (Q2–Q5).