The rate-rise ripple effect: 62% of renters panic over landlord price hikes
Key takeaways
- 31% of Aussie tenants say their rent has already gone up in the last 6 months.
- Almost half of tenants struggled to pay their rent in June.
- How to navigate rising rental costs.
Millions of Australian renters fear landlords will keep pushing up rents to offset rising mortgage costs, according to new research by Finder.
Finder's research shows 62% of Aussie tenants are worried interest rate rises will lead to higher rents.
Almost a third (31%) of renters said their rent had already increased in the past six months and they are concerned it will happen again.
Another 31% believe a rent hike is coming within the next six months.
Richard Whitten, money expert at Finder, said some renters felt they were paying the price for rising borrowing costs.
"Landlords facing higher mortgage repayments are increasingly passing those costs onto tenants through rent increases.
"Many renters are already stretched thin and worry another hike could seriously impact their ability to cover everyday expenses."
Almost half (47%) of Australian tenants said they struggled to pay their rent in June, according to data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker (CST). That's compared to 38% of homeowners who said they struggled to pay home loan in June.
Whitten said the pressure was especially intense because tenants had few alternatives in a tight housing market.
"Low vacancy rates mean renters often feel they have no choice but to accept higher costs or risk being homeless.
"For many Australians, moving is no longer a guaranteed way to save money on rent."
Finder's research found almost 1 in 10 renters (9%) said their rent had already gone up in the last six months but they are not concerned about another increase.
Whitten said the uncertainty around future interest rates was adding to stress levels.
"Too many are living in fear of the next email or phone call from their landlord because another increase could blow a hole in an already stretched budget."
Whitten said renters can't control interest rates, but they can control how prepared they are for the next rent shock.
"Building even a small emergency buffer, trimming non-essential spending and actively shopping around for better deals on bills can make the difference between coping with a rent rise or being caught off guard when it hits."
Just 29% of renters say they are not worried about interest rate rises impacting their rent.
Are you worried that interest rate rises will lead to an increase in your rent?
| Yes, it's already gone up in the last 6 months, and I'm worried it will happen again | 31% |
| Yes, I think it will happen in the next 6 months | 31% |
| Yes, it's already gone up in the last 6 months, and I'm not worried about it going up again | 9% |
| No, I'm not worried | 29% |
| Source: Finder survey of 311 renters, April 2026 |  |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 90,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,019 respondents, 311 of whom are renters, April 2026.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
Credits
- PR & Insights research team: Taylor Blackburn, Kate Boddington, Natascha Kwiet-Evans, William Capada
- Survey operation: Qualtrics
Sources
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