Woodridge and Kingston have finally escaped the Suburbtrends’ rental pain report after being listed as having some of the worst rental conditions in the country for six consecutive months.
The monthly report compiles a long list of suburbs across Australia that possess extremely harsh rental environments.
The list is based on a range of market factors, including vacancy rates, affordability and competition.
A Logan suburb makes the list every time, and over the last six months it has been Kingston and Woodridge in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Last year both suburbs were named in the report’s top five, but in January 2024 they dropped to position 15 and 16 before exiting the list completely in March.
Industry experts told MyCity Logan suburbs like Kingston and Woodridge were at a “turning point”.
Multiple property managers said rentals in these suburbs were starting to attract “more desirable” tenants.
“There’s a shift in the type of people we’re getting in these properties,” Century21 property manager Gabrielle Oltarczy said.
“Because investors are buying more homes and renovating them.”
Kingston and Woodridge were consistently named on the report due to affordability, the disparity between the cost of rent and the income of renters, and vacancy.
When the median rent in a suburb consumes 30 per cent or more the suburb’s median income, the report deems the rental conditions “dire”.
This month, Woodridge and Kingston’s affordability remained at the same high level – around 40 per cent.
But their vacancy rates rose by 0.2 per cent in two months.
While Kingston and Woodridge were knocked off the list, they were replaced by other Logan suburbs – Mount Warren Park, Bethania and Waterford.
All three suburbs had the worst possible overall score: 100.
The best possible score is 1.
Rent in Bethania and Waterford made up 39 per cent of the median income, and Mount Warren Park 36%.
Mount Warren Park had a vacancy rate of 0.31 per cent and an average rental increase of 16 per cent.
Bethania and Waterford’s vacancy rates were 0.58 per cent and rental increase 11 per cent.
The report says a rental change of anything over 5 per cent indicates “high financial stress for renters”.
“The escalating rental increases, combined with low vacancy rates, call for strategic planning and action from both government and private sectors to enhance the supply and affordability of rental housing,” Suburbtrends founder Kent Lardner said.
“The situation in these highlighted suburbs reveals a complex challenge for policymakers, investors, and community advocates.
“Efforts to improve rental affordability, increase housing supply, and offer support to those most affected are critical in mitigating the “rental pain” experienced by residents in these areas.
