The Too Hard Basket - Why is it so expensive to rent a home in Australia?

The Great Australian Dream has always been, so it would seem, to own a house. But the proportion of Australians who rent has been steadily increasing; a third are now tenants, many for long periods of time.

A ‘Lease’ sign is seen outside a townhouse complex in Canberra, Friday, October 21, 2022. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING Source: Getty / LUKAS COCH/AAPIMAGE

Key Points

• Anglicare's annual rental snapshot has traced the declining affordability of private rentals for the past fourteen years.
• The Greens would like to see a rental cap.
• The fastest growing group becoming homeless are women aged over 55 years.