Property investors in much of Australia are enjoying very low vacancy rates – and one leading property researcher has forecast that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
The national vacancy rate in July was just 1.3%, according to SQM Research, which means there are very few untenanted rental properties right now. That makes it relatively easy for investors to find tenants and means renters will often accept higher rents to secure accommodation.
“Clearly, acute rental shortages remain with us. And besides more people grouping together to share the burden, there is no significant solution on the horizon,” SQM managing director Louis Christopher said.
Christopher added that the main cause of the tight rental market and fast-rising rents had been strong population growth. “Australia currently has, by far, the fastest growing population for any OECD country and clearly the rampant increases are currently breaching the country’s capacity to house all our people.”
