How to Find Rental Properties in Canberra

Finding a rental property can be very stresful in Canberra. It definitely wasn't a fun time for myself and my partner! If you're moving to Canberra from interstate or even just moving out of your parents place, you might not know where to get started.

Here's our guide to finding rental properties in Canberra:

Where to Find Rental Properties in Canberra

We tested out the top 3 property sites in Canberra to see which had the most listings. We used Dickson as our test suburb.

AllHomes

If you're looking to find rental properties in Canberra, the best place to start your search is AllHomes. When looking for rental properties in the past, I've found AllHomes usually has the most listings.

AllHomes was founded in 2000 right here in Canberra. It's still operated out of Kingston in Canberra however it is now owned by the Domain Group.

Zango

Zango is a much newer Canberra property site. It was founded in 2020 by the same person who started AllHomes. It's good to have more competition with listings in Canberra but it does mean you might need to use both AllHomes, Zango and RealEstate to find rental properties in Canberra. Zango is still owned by local real estate agents.

When testing out Zango we found it had significantly fewer listings for our test suburb than the other property sites.

RealEstate.com.au

RealEstate.com.au is a popular national property site. In our testing it had a similar number of listings, compared to AllHomes. If you are looking for rental in Canberra, it's probably a good idea to check RealEstate.com.au as well as the other sites as we did find some listings here that weren't on the other property apps.

Is there a Rental Shortage in Canberra?

Although Canberra is no longer considered to be in a rental crisis it can still be difficult to find rental properties. In April 2023 Canberra had the highest rental vacancy rate in all of Australia based on data from SQM Research.

Is Rent in Canberra Expensive

Rental prices in Canberra is some of the most expensive in Australia.

Average Rental Price in Canberra

Canberra is often the most expensive city in Australia to rent property. Currently it is just behind Sydney and the average rental price in Canberra for an apartment is $560.

Why is Rent so High in Canberra

Rent in Canberra is so high due to a number of reasons. Supply is one issue - Canberra has a growing population and while currently the vacancy rate is higher in the past Canberra has had the lowest vacancy rate in the country. Another reason could be down to the regions economic prosperity. Canberra has by far the highest average income in Australia. This means there are more people who can afford to pay more for rent.

Will it Become Easier to Find Rental Properties in Canberra?

With more and more apartments being built in Canberra it should become easier to find rental properties. Unfortunately if you're looking for a rental house, it may not be the case.

There are also a number of build to rent buildings currently under construction. The apartments in these buildings won't be sold to individuals, instead they will be rented out by the developers. Most of these buildings are being constructed along the light rail corridor making them ideal for renters. Hopefully this will make renting in Canberra more affordable for more people.

What to Expect when Searching for a Rental in Canberra

If you're new to renting here is what you should expect when searching for a rental:

You will need to attend an inspection in person in order to rent an apartment or home. If you're interstate you can contact the agent and they'll give you additional options. Attending inspections can be stupidly difficult. They are often scheduled during the middle of the day when you're at work, however some are on Weekends. If you can't attend you can get a family member or friend to attend for you.

Depending on the place, there can be a lot of people attending an inspection. Some inspections I attended had over 30 people. Obviously not everyone will apply to rent the apartment but it can still be a competitive process.