The year-on-year increases in rents in Domain’s quarterly review of the national housing market are a solemn reminder just how expensive it is to put a roof over your family’s head.

While headline unit rents across the combined capital cities soared a staggering 23.7 per cent year-on-year in the September quarter, and house rents jumped 13.2 per cent, these averages don’t capture the localised pain points.