Unit rents in parts of regional New South Wales have surged by more than 60 per cent in a single year, prompting Homelessness NSW to call for better rental protections.
Analysis of Cotality rental data for the 12 months to August 2026 shows unit rents in the Bourke local government area rose from $208 a week to $346 a week, an increase of 66 per cent. Warrumbungle and Hay recorded increases of 60 per cent and 39 per cent respectively over the same period.
“The rental price of units is vitally important because often they are the only type of housing that people can afford,” said Homelessness NSW CEO Dom Rowe.
“We are seeing major increases in several parts of regional NSW. This raises the risk of homelessness for many people struggling to keep a roof over their head.”
Homelessness NSW is calling on the NSW Government to follow ACT’s lead and cap rent increases to inflation plus 10%.
“NSW renters deserve the same protection as renters in the ACT,” Ms Rowe said.
“Right now, tenants facing a rent hike well above inflation have nowhere to turn. Linking rent increases to inflation gives people a genuine safeguard, not just a right to ask a tribunal to confirm what the market will bear.”
Top 10 NSW local government areas for unit rent increases, July 2025 to July 2026
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Source: Cotality median rental AVM data, unit dwellings, July 31 2025 to July 31 2026.
June 28, 2021
Homelessness NSW has welcomed the commitment of the NSW Government to ensure hotel accommodation for all people sleeping rough in the Greater Sydney lockdown area as further evidence that ending homelessness is achievable and calls on the NSW Government to provide greater investment in social housing to end homelessness for all.
