Rental crisis deepens as new report reveals six-figure salaries are not enough

A six-figure income is barely enough to keep renters out of financial stress as a new report reveals the affordability crisis has reached dire new levels. The 2026 Priced Out report from non-profit Everybody’s Home revealed someone earning $130,000 a year would still be in rental stress and paying more than the affordability threshold. The ABS sets that threshold at 30 per cent of someone’s weekly income and Everybody’s Home reports the median Australian rental is $614 a week. Even on $130,000, a renter would spend 33 per cent of their income for a median priced unit. “Australians now need an income about 75 per cent higher than the median employee income before the average rental becomes affordable,” according to the report. MORE: 41yo’s landlord ‘sick’ act, then her rent hiked Maiy Azize said renters are losing weeks worth of their time to cover rental increases but the solution is “pretty simple”. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman MORE: Half of Aussies now in mortgage ‘prison’ Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said the rental crisis was the result of a compounding, long-term trend. “Rents have been running away for years with the pain spreading well beyond people on low i...