New research commissioned by RentRabbit.com.au has found the top 20 Brisbane rental markets where conditions have most turned in favour of renters over the past 12 months.
The quarterly RentRabbit.com.au Better Renting Report identifies Brisbane’s top 20 suburbs that are both suitable for renters and where conditions have turned in favour of renters over the past 12 months.
To make sure suburbs were tenant-friendly, they needed to be large enough (at least 1,000 properties) and close enough to the Brisbane CBD (within 200km).
To make sure conditions in those suburbs had turned in favour of renters, their vacancy rate needed to have increased by at least 1 percentage point over the past 12 months.
The top 20 ranking included 18 house markets and two-unit markets.
All the suburbs had a vacancy rate of at least 1.1%, while weekly rents ranged from $320 to $590.
RentRabbit.com.au co-founder Ben Pretty said the research highlights how tough life can be as a tenant in Brisbane.
“The RentRabbit.com.au Better Renting Report shows that Brisbane renters are able to find some tenant-friendly suburbs where vacancy rates have increased over the past year, suggesting those markets have been turning in favour of tenants. That said, in all but one of those suburbs, rents also increased during that period,” he said.
“This is all about supply and demand. There’s a shortage of decent rental accommodation at the moment, which means tenants are having to fight hard to find somewhere to live.
“For the sake of families and people on average incomes, I’d like to see a more balanced rental market. For that to happen, supply needs to increase, which means we need more investors to enter the market and more new builds to come online.”
Top 20 ranking
| Rank | Suburb | Postcode | Property type | Vacancy rate (1 year ago) | Vacancy rate (now) | Vacancy rate (change) |
| 1 | Dayboro | 4521 | House | 0.0%* | 8.9% | 8.9 percentage points |
| 2 | Newport | 4020 | House | 3.9% | 10.4% | 6.5 percentage points |
| 3 | Everton Hills | 4053 | House | 1.1% | 4.2% | 3.1 percentage points |
| 4 | Glass House Mountains | 4518 | House | 0.6% | 3.7% | 3.1 percentage points |
| 5 | Eatons Hill | 4035 | House | 0.0%* | 2.4% | 2.4 percentage points |
| 6 | Ferny Hills | 4055 | House | 0.8% | 2.8% | 2.0 percentage points |
| 7 | Fairfield | 4103 | House | 0.3% | 2.2% | 1.9 percentage points |
| 8 | Bald Hills | 4036 | House | 0.5% | 2.3% | 1.8 percentage points |
| 9 | Cooloola Cove | 4580 | House | 0.0%* | 1.7% | 1.7 percentage points |
| 10 | Nudgee | 4014 | House | 1.1% | 2.7% | 1.6 percentage points |
| 11 | Virginia | 4014 | House | 1.6% | 3.1% | 1.5 percentage points |
| 12 | Logan Reserve | 4133 | House | 1.5% | 3.0% | 1.5 percentage points |
| 13 | Tamborine Mountain | 4272 | House | 0.7% | 2.1% | 1.4 percentage points |
| 14 | Ningi | 4511 | House | 0.3% | 1.5% | 1.2 percentage points |
| 15 | Daisy Hill | 4127 | House | 0.3% | 1.5% | 1.2 percentage points |
| 16 | Boronia Heights | 4124 | House | 0.7% | 1.9% | 1.2 percentage points |
| 17 | Beerwah | 4519 | House | 0.2% | 1.4% | 1.2 percentage points |
| 18 | Marcoola | 4564 | Unit | 0.2% | 1.3% | 1.1 percentage points |
| 19 | Riverview | 4303 | House | 0.6% | 1.7% | 1.1 percentage points |
| 20 | Caloundra West | 4551 | Unit | 0.0%* | 1.1% | 1.1 percentage points |
*When a suburb has a vacancy rate of 0%, that doesn’t mean the suburb literally has no vacant rental properties. Rental properties are regarded as ‘officially’ vacant when they’ve been on the market for 21 days or more. When a suburb has a vacancy rate of 0%, it means all rental properties are being filled in less than 21 days of being listed for rent.
Key stats on the top 20 suburbs
1. The house market of Dayboro (The Hills District)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.0%* | 8.9% | 8.9 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $420 | $500 | 19.0% |
2. The house market of Newport (Redcliffe)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 3.9% | 10.4% | 6.5 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $520 | $550 | 5.8% |
3. The house market of Everton Hills (The Hills District)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 1.1% | 4.2% | 3.1 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $470 | $520 | 10.6% |
4. The house market of Glass House Mountains (Sunshine Coast Hinterland)
‘Commutable’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.6% | 3.7% | 3.1 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $440 | $560 | 27.3% |
5. The house market of Eatons Hill (The Hills District)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.0%* | 2.4% | 2.4 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $550 | $565 | 2.7% |
6. The house market of Ferny Hills (The Hills District)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.8% | 2.8% | 2.0 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $470 | $520 | 10.6% |
7. The house market of Fairfield (Holland Park – Yeronga)
‘Inner city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.3% | 2.2% | 1.9 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $495 | $530 | 7.1% |
8. The house market of Bald Hills (Bald Hills – Everton Park)
‘Middle city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.5% | 2.3% | 1.8 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $405 | $470 | 16.0% |
9. The house market of Cooloola Cove (Gympie – Cooloola)
‘Long Commute’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.0%* | 1.7% | 1.7 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $340 | $420 | 23.5% |
10. The house market of Nudgee (Nundah)
‘Middle city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 1.1% | 2.7% | 1.6 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $560 | $590 | 5.4% |
11. The house market of Virginia (Nundah)
‘Middle city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 1.6% | 3.1% | 1.5 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $500 | $535 | 7.0% |
12. The house market of Logan Reserve (Loganlea – Carbrook)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 1.5% | 3.0% | 1.5 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $390 | $390 | 0.0% |
13. The house market of Tamborine Mountain (Gold Coast Hinterland)
‘Commutable’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.7% | 2.1% | 1.4 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $460 | $520 | 13.0% |
14. The house market of Ningi (Bribie – Beachmere)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.3% | 1.5% | 1.2 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $400 | $420 | 5.0% |
15. The house market of Daisy Hill (Springwood – Kingston)
‘Middle city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.3% | 1.5% | 1.2 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $450 | $500 | 11.1% |
16. The house market of Boronia Heights (Browns Plains)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.7% | 1.9% | 1.2 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $350 | $380 | 8.6% |
17. The house market of Beerwah (Sunshine Coast Hinterland)
‘Commutable’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.2% | 1.4% | 1.2 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $420 | $500 | 19.0% |
18. The unit market of Marcoola (Maroochy)
‘Commutable’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.2% | 1.3% | 1.1 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $410 | $450 | 9.8% |
19. The house market of Riverview (Ipswich Inner)
‘Outer city’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.6% | 1.7% | 1.1 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $280 | $320 | 14.3% |
20. The unit market of Caloundra West (Caloundra)
‘Commutable’ suburb
| Category | Feb 2021 | Feb 2022 | Change |
| Vacancy rate | 0.0%* | 1.1% | 1.1 percentage points |
| Median weekly rent | $400 | $440 | 10.0% |
