FOLLOWING the release of the Domain Rental Report for the June 2020 quarter, Canberra Liberals leader Alistair Coe says renters are unfairly paying more, with some paying $45 to $205 more, per week, than renters in other cities. 

Canberra, according to the report, is the most expensive city to rent a house in Australia with a median asking rent of $575 per week, up from $550 per week last year.

Sydney was the second most expensive city to rent at $530 per week while Perth was the most affordable at $370.

The results have since sparked comments from Mr Coe, who said: “Canberra renters are unfairly paying more because of ACT Labor’s rent taxes and monopoly of land supply.”

House rents have increased 28 per cent and unit rents 22 per cent in five years, and Canberra’s median weekly asking rent for a home amounts to almost $30,000 a year, according to the report.

While Canberra’s rent prices remain the highest nationally, the report says house and unit rents fell from the highs of last quarter, down $5 and $10 a week, respectively. But this could be short-lived, according to the report, which states that vacancies look to be tightening again.

And, despite rental prices sliding over the quarter, rental conditions remain competitive as tenants compete in the third tightest capital city rental market.