Melbourne rental crisis: Cheapest suburbs to rent a house or unit revealed

The cheapest suburbs around the city to rent a house and unit have been revealed, as some experts are advising low income earners to “get the hell out” of Melbourne. SEARCH YOUR SUBURB

25B Beamish St, Werribee is for rent.

Experts are advising lower income tenants to “get the hell out” of Melbourne where even the cheapest rentals are increasingly beyond the reach of families.

PropTrack has revealed the most affordable places to rent across the city, with less than 10 suburbs with a median unit rental price below $350 a week, and Melton and Laverton the only options for tenants seeking a house at the figure.

Irrespective of if you’re looking for an affordable house in the city’s inner, middle or outer suburbs, almost every option is either in the western or northwestern suburbs.

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PropTrack senior economist Paul Ryan said people were being pushed “more peripheral” as rental pressures intensified.

“I think people are opening up their considerations of different areas,” Mr Ryan said.

He added that advertised rental prices had grown 13.8 per cent in the past year which had added a “huge amount of financial pressure” on Melburnians and there was little reprieve in sight.

“Every single renter in the city essentially has seen rents go up by more than 10 per cent this year which puts a huge amount of pressure on everyone’s finances,” Mr Ryan said.

Mr Ryan said Victoria’s median income earning household could pay a maximum of around $670 a week in rent but he noted for the many bringing home less than the typical wage, spending even $400 would be “challenging”.

This one-bedroom unit at 15/707 Barkly St, West Footscray is for rent for $370 a week, listed with Barry Plant Yarraville.

West Footscray’s median rental price for a unit is $370 a week.

It’s one of the cheapest suburbs to find a unit and house to rent in Melbourne’s inner ring.

With a vacancy rate of just over 1 per cent and high demand that has brought the typical time from listing a rental to leasing it down to 20 days in Melbourne, he said rents were being driven higher and could continue to do so for the rest of the year.

The Demographics Group co-founder Simon Kuestenmacher said if you were in a low income job, “you’re screwed” and advised such workers to “get the hell out of the capital city of your state”.

“Your life would be better if you moved to a smaller market where you can still get the same pay, but your housing would be cheaper,” Mr Kuestenmacher said.

“The big cities are currently not offering the best lifestyle option for the bottom end of the market.”

This two-bedroom house at 25B Beamish St, Werribee is for rent for $390 a week.

Werribee is one of the cheapest suburbs in Melbourne’s outer ring to rent a house.

Werribee has a median rental price of $400 a week for a house.

He said the longer term effects of a deepening rental crisis could have “serious, serious social implications”.

Your Home Hunter principal and tenant advocate Wendy Eva-Scott said one agency in her network had given 10 notices to vacate to their tenants just this week because landlords were either moving back in or selling their properties.

Rather than seek even a one-bedroom apartment, she is recommending people consider moving to share houses.

“So is there anywhere that’s affordable at the moment? For people on lower incomes, no.”

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