Key takeaways
Is Australia facing a rental market meltdown?
Research shows that Australia has fallen short by 35,000 investors needed to meet tenant demand, leaving renters grappling with limited options in an already stretched market.
Around 14.1% of investors surveyed sold at least one property in the past year, up from 12.1% the year before.
Australia’s rental market is at a tipping point. Without renewed focus on supporting property investors, the housing shortage will worsen, and renters will continue to bear the brunt of the crisis.
Is Australia facing a rental market meltdown?
Well, new research from the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) and the Property Investors Council of Australia (PICA) reveals a critical shortage of property investors is further fueling the nation’s escalating rental crisis.
Findings from the research show that over the past five years, Australia has fallen short by 35,000 investors needed to meet tenant demand, leaving renters grappling with limited options in an already stretched market.
Between March 2019 and March 2024, Australia's population grew by an extraordinary 1.8 million people, requiring an additional 212,000 rental properties to house them.
However, only 110,000 new investors entered the market during this period, far fewer than the 145,000 needed to meet demand.
Obviously, this growing gap is exacerbating the pressure on renters nationwide.
PIPA Chair Nicola McDougall highlighted how investor participation has steadily declined in recent years.
She said:
“From 2003 to 2017, the number of individual property investors grew steadily, with annual increases ranging from 56,000 to 60,000.
However, this upward trend disappeared in recent years due to factors such as increased market interference, restrictive lending policies, and tax hikes, all of which have deterred investors."
The ripple effect: rising vacancy challenges
The shrinking pool of property investors is leaving a tangible mark on the rental market.
In fact, national vacancy rates, which were manageable at 3% in 2015, have now plummeted to just 1.2%.
This means that only 36,000 available rental properties across the nation which is roughly half of what was available a decade ago.
Further, PIPA’s Annual Sentiment Survey revealed that more investors are exiting the market.
Data shows that around 14.1% of investors surveyed sold at least one property in the past year, up from 12.1% the year before.
With many of these properties being purchased by owner-occupiers, the availability of rental homes continues to dwindle.
A path forward: supporting property investors
McDougall emphasised that reversing this trend is crucial for stabilizing the rental market.
She explained:
“Instead of penalising investors with increased regulations and taxes, governments should focus on policies that encourage investment in the private rental market.
Property investors are essential for providing housing to Australia’s growing population."
In other words, Australia’s rental market is at a tipping point.
Without renewed focus on supporting property investors, the housing shortage will worsen, and renters will continue to bear the brunt of the crisis.
But the question remains: will policymakers act before it’s too late?
