Adelaide’s cheapest near-city rental hotspots revealed

It might seem impossible to find an affordable rental in Adelaide at the moment, but new data reveals that’s not actually the case. Here’s where to look.

Trying to find an affordable rental close to the city can be challenging, but new data shows the Adelaide suburbs where you have the best chance of doing just that.

PropTrack data highlights Adelaide’s most affordable inner-ring, middle-ring and outer-ring suburbs for rental houses and units, revealing Adelaide’s most cost-effective options within easy reach of the CBD.

MORE NEWS

Landmark Hills church sold, set for huge tourism overhaul

Chateau for sale – but Barossa tourism icon has a hefty price tag

Former bank-turned-holiday home up for grabs

Each ring contains about the same number of properties, with the inner ring consisting of homes within 8km of the city centre, the middle ring of homes between 8km and 16km, and the outer ring of homes more than 16km away.

Those looking to find metropolitan Adelaide’s cheapest house rentals need look no further than the northern suburbs.

Elizabeth North houses presented the most affordable option at $330 per week, followed by Elizabeth North, Davoren Park and Elizabeth Grove at $350.

Edge Realty’s Mike Lao. Supplied.

Edge Realty’s Mike Lao, who specialises in selling in the northern suburbs – often to investors – and whose company used to manage a rent roll in the area, said affordable rentals were in high demand.

“When we’d put a new rental online we would get 30 to 50 applications on each one,” he says.

“For many people this is their first step on the property ladder, they get to start here and then work their way up – especially for new migrants, who tend to settle in the area.”

Nick Lambeff, 65, is renting in Smithfield Plains – which has an average weekly rent of $380 – and said the suburb had a lot to offer, both in value for money and in great amenities.

“I’m renting for $350 a week, and Munno Para is only 1km away, Playford Shopping Centre is only 800m and Elizabeth is about 5km away and Blakeview is about 4km away and they all have shops so if we can’t find what we need at one of them we just go to another,” he said.

Nick Lambeff and his dog Alex at his rental at Smithfield Plains. Picture Dean Martin

Of houses in Adelaide’s inner ring, Kilburn, in Adelaide’s north represents the best option for first homebuyers, with the lowest median weekly rent of any suburb within 8km of the city, at $450.

For those looking to rent a bit further out from the city centre, Pooraka, Taperoo, and Pennington have the cheapest middle ring houses, at $450 per week.

Unit and apartment renters require less outlay, with inner-ring homes from $340 per week in Brooklyn Park, middle ring units also from $340 per week in Semaphore, and outer ring units from $245 per week in Elizabeth Vale.

Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee. Supplied

Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee said the rental market has become more competitive, driving prices up.

“Rents rose during the pandemic as people spread out and this led to too few rental properties as migration started up again, accelerating this growth,” she said.

“Buying a property for many would have become more financially viable or attractive, pushing them into the established market, further increasing the demand for homes.”