VernumoIssues read through official data

EconomyAustralia edition

Australian rents: what the CPI rent figures show to September 2026

The rent measure in Australia's consumer price index was 3.6% higher in September 2026 than 12 months earlier. That rate has held steady since May 2026.

Published 1 min read

  • 2026-023.8%
  • 2026-033.7%
  • 2026-043.5%
  • 2026-053.6%
  • 2026-063.6%
  • 2026-073.6%
  • 2026-083.6%
  • 2026-093.6%
Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change) · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australia Rent inflation →

The latest reading

Rents in the consumer price index are still rising, but not as quickly as they were early in 2026. In September 2026, the rent measure was 3.6% higher than in the same month a year before.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

This is a 12-month change. It compares September 2026 with September of the previous year. It is not a change from August to September.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

What the official figures show

The rent measure's 12-month change was 3.8% in February 2026. It was 3.7% in March 2026 and 3.5% in April 2026.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

The rate then moved up to 3.6% in May 2026. It stayed at 3.6% in June, July, August and September 2026.

Sources for this paragraph (5)

How September compares with earlier in 2026

The September 2026 rate of 3.6% is lower than the 3.8% recorded in February 2026. It is slightly higher than the low point of 3.5% in April 2026.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

A lower 12-month rate does not mean rents fell. It means the index was rising at a slower pace than before. Each reading in this series is still above zero.

Sources for this paragraph (8)

What it means for people in Australia

For renters, the measure shows rents across the index still climbing in September 2026, at 3.6% over 12 months. The pace has been steady for 5 months in a row.

Sources for this paragraph (5)

The figure is a national average from the price index. It does not tell you what your own rent has done, or what a new lease in your area would cost.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

What the data does and does not show

The September 2026 figure gives one national rate. It does not break rents down by city, region or type of home.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

The facts here do not explain why the rate eased and then held steady. They also do not show dollar amounts of rent.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

Scenarios to watch

  • Scenario, not a forecast If the 12-month rate stays at its recent level in coming months, rents in the index would keep rising at a similar pace to mid-2026.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If later readings drop below the recent rate, that would show rent growth slowing further, though rents would still be rising while the rate stays above zero.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If later readings move above the recent rate, that would show rent growth picking up again after a steady stretch.

What to check next

  • The next monthly CPI release and whether the rent measure's 12-month change stays at 3.6%
  • Whether the rent rate moves back towards its February 2026 level of 3.8% or below its April 2026 level of 3.5%
  • Any city or regional rent breakdowns in official releases

Verified data used in this report

IndicatorValuePeriodSourcesAccessed
F1Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.8%2026-02Australian Bureau of Statistics
F2Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.7%2026-03Australian Bureau of Statistics
F3Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.5%2026-04Australian Bureau of Statistics
F4Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-05Australian Bureau of Statistics
F5Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-06Australian Bureau of Statistics
F6Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-07Australian Bureau of Statistics
F7Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-08Australian Bureau of Statistics
F8Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C1Australia consumer price inflation (12-month change)4.3%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C2Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change)12.8%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C3Australia food price inflation (12-month change)3.2%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C5Australia unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted)4.72%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C6Australia GDP growth (annual %)1.35%2025World Bank
C7Australia Unemployment, total (% of labour force, ILO modelled estimate)4.09%2025World Bank
C8Australia Fertility rate, total (births per woman)1.482024World Bank
C9Australia Population aged 65 and above (% of total population)18.09%2025World Bank
C10Australia Population growth (annual %)1.53%2025World Bank

Sources

  • Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0) — license
  • Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) — license

How this report was checked

  • Data: the newest reference period cited is 2026-09.
  • Figures were collected from the source on
  • Written by an AI model (claude-opus-5-5) using only the official figures listed in this report.
  • Automatic checks passed: every number matches a cited figure, every paragraph names its evidence, and there is no investment advice or copied source text.
  • A separate quality-check model raised concerns, and the report was rewritten once to address them.
  • No person reviewed this report before publication. Automatic checks confirm the numbers, not every interpretation.
Update history
  • 2026-10-31 01:01 UTC — created
  • 2026-10-31 01:01 UTC — approved+published

Report an error or a rights issue