Surprise trend pushing down Sydney rents
A common move by cash strapped homeowners has unwittingly helped tenants as new rental data reveals “fantastic news”.
Sydney tenants living in share houses now have greater choices and cheaper prices than one year ago.
New data from flatmates.com.au has revealed the tight conditions in Sydney’s share house market are showing signs of easing.
The number of rooms listed on flatmates.com.au in Sydney grew by one-fifth year-on-year in February 2025 – despite February and January being the peak season for renters – making it easier for housemates to secure a room.
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Additionally, advertised rents for a room were flat year-on-year in Sydney, sitting at a median of $350 per week in February, with some suburbs in Sydney even falling in price.
Rent for a room in Warriewood, a beachside suburb in Sydneys North, have fallen from $600 a week to $400, according to flatmates.com.au data.
Dolls Point was $475 a week but is now $175 cheaper, while Pennant Hills room rents fell by $130 to an average of $220 per week.
Flatmates.com.au community manager Claudia Conley said it was “fantastic news,” for renters.
“There has been a lot of gloom and doom surrounding the rental market in Australia because of the rental crisis. We are still not in the clear but its definitely easier than it was a year ago,” she said.
“We have just come out of peak season being January, February and the middle of March, so its really good news for sharers with more options as well as decreasing prices,” she said.
Majority of Flatmates.com.au members were aged between 24 and 35 but Ms Conley noted that an increasing number of members were over 55.
More homeowners listing their spare rooms to combat the rising costs of mortgages was contributing to the uptick of new room listings, Ms Conley added.
A dip in overseas migration, caps on international students and more listings on the rental market was also helping the increase number of rooms available on flatmates.com.au.
Some areas had more listings than demand, according to Flatmates.com.au.
South Granville currently had 29 rooms available with only two users searching in that area, while St Ives had five rooms advertised with only one member looking.
“Some of these areas may be on the (Sydney) outskirts so may not be possible for everyone looking for share accommodation who need to be near work or university,” she said. “Where location isn’t a top priority (for someone) if you can work remotely or from home a few days a week, living a bit further out could be easier to find a place if you’re in a really challenging position.”
Suburbs with the most supply and least demand | ||
| Suburbs | Rooms available | People searching |
| South Granville | 29 | 2 |
| Saint Ives | 5 | 1 |
| Cabramatta West | 7 | 1 |
| South Wentworthville | 9 | 2 |
| Constitution Hill | 4 | 1 |
| Hebersham | 4 | 1 |
| North Saint Marys | 3 | 1 |
| Blair Athol | 3 | 1 |
| East Killara | 3 | 1 |
| Glenhaven | 3 | 0 |
Suburbs with the largest decreases in weekly rent | |||
| Suburb | Feb-24 | Feb-25 | YOY change |
| Pennant Hills | $350 | $220 | -37.10% |
| Dolls Point | $475 | $300 | -36.80% |
| Warriewood | $600 | $400 | -33.30% |
| Banksia | $320 | $215 | -32.80% |
| Constitution Hill | $400 | $288 | -28.10% |
| Killarney Heights | $470 | $350 | -25.50% |
| Mays Hill | $320 | $240 | -25.00% |
| Melrose Park | $330 | $250 | -24.20% |
| Ropes Crossing | $300 | $230 | -23.30% |
| Belfield | $325 | $250 | -23.10% |
Originally published as Surprise trend pushing down Sydney rents
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