Weekly Rents: National Up, Capitals Split — Week Ending 16 August 2026

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Weekly Rents — Week Ending 16 August 2026

The national combined median asking rent was $778.87 per week in the seven days to 16 August, down $0.22 on the prior week and 7.6% higher than the same week last year, according to the Ripehouse Advisory rental listings database. The national rolling month sits at +1.0%, so the broader trend remains upward even as individual weeks pause. National houses are at $777.75 (up 7.2% annually) and units at $780.47 (up 8.3%) — units remain ahead of houses nationally for the second consecutive week.

Houses and units diverge in Brisbane and Perth

The most interesting pattern this week is the split between dwelling types within the same city. Brisbane houses rose $1.98 to $795.88, taking annual growth to 8.7% — the strongest of any mainland capital house market. Brisbane units moved the other way, down $2.68 to $727.69, with annual unit growth of 4.7% now the softest on the mainland alongside the rolling month at just +0.1%.

Perth shows the same divergence. Houses added $2.23 to $782.84 (up 6.1% on the year), while units fell $4.36 to $755.12. Even after that fall, Perth units are 8.3% higher than a year ago — the strongest annual unit growth of any mainland capital — so the weekly dip reads as consolidation after a strong run rather than a change in trend.

Sydney consolidates below last week's peak

Sydney houses eased $4.55 to $1,061.93 per week after the prior week's $4.46 rise, and units slipped $0.39 to $938.97. The combined Sydney median of $986.06 remains 7.7% above a year ago, with houses up 8.6% annually — the equal-strongest annual house growth in the dataset alongside Brisbane. The rolling month for both Sydney segments is +1.0%, so the underlying pace is intact.

Melbourne steady, Adelaide units pull back

Melbourne houses eased $1.11 to $695.03 and units $0.94 to $673.95, with the combined median at $686.12. Annual growth of 7.4% combined remains solid, and Melbourne is still the most affordable mainland capital for houses — now $100.85 per week below Brisbane houses, a gap that keeps widening. Adelaide units were the week's softest mainland segment, down $6.54 to $586.85 with the rolling month at -1.8%, though Adelaide houses firmed $0.60 to $704.35 and remain 7.7% up on the year.

Canberra soft, small capitals volatile

Canberra recorded the weakest combined reading of the week, down $5.72 to $692.74, with annual growth of 4.1% — the softest of any capital, consistent with the cooler conditions we have tracked there through 2026. Darwin units jumped $15.38 to $666.83 while Darwin houses fell $3.25 to $860.97; at 10.8% annual growth, Darwin houses still hold the strongest twelve-month gain of any capital city segment. Hobart units gave back $11.73 to $550.25 after last week's $15.67 rise — a reminder that small listing counts (266 houses, 99 units in Hobart; 145 and 167 in Darwin) make these the most volatile series we publish.

What this means

Weekly moves were mixed, but the annual picture is uniform: combined rents in every capital are between 4.1% and 7.8% higher than a year ago, and the national rolling month of +1.0% says momentum is holding. For investors, the structural story hasn't changed — houses in Brisbane and Sydney are compounding at close to 9% annually, Perth units remain the standout unit market at 8.3%, and even the softest capital (Canberra at 4.1%) is growing rents well ahead of long-run averages. For tenants, affordability pressure remains most acute in Sydney, where the combined median of $986.06 keeps the $1,000 mark in sight.

Data drawn from the Ripehouse Advisory rental listings database, covering 43,247 house and 30,154 unit listings nationally in the week ending 16 August 2026.

The full data — week ending 16 August 2026

City	Dwelling	Avg Weekly Rent	Chg on Prev Wk	Rolling Mth	Chg 12 Mth
Sydney	All Houses	$1061.93	-$4.55	+1.0%	+8.6%
Sydney	All Units	$938.97	-$0.39	+1.0%	+7.2%
Sydney	All Combined	$986.06	-$1.84	+1.0%	+7.7%
Melbourne	All Houses	$695.03	-$1.11	+1.1%	+6.8%
Melbourne	All Units	$673.95	-$0.94	+1.2%	+8.2%
Melbourne	All Combined	$686.12	-$1.06	+1.1%	+7.4%
Brisbane	All Houses	$795.88	+$1.98	+1.1%	+8.7%
Brisbane	All Units	$727.69	-$2.68	+0.1%	+4.7%
Brisbane	All Combined	$770.82	+$0.69	+0.9%	+7.1%
Perth	All Houses	$782.84	+$2.23	+0.5%	+6.1%
Perth	All Units	$755.12	-$4.36	+0.9%	+8.3%
Perth	All Combined	$776.00	+$0.59	+0.6%	+6.6%
Adelaide	All Houses	$704.35	+$0.60	+0.5%	+7.7%
Adelaide	All Units	$586.85	-$6.54	-1.8%	+6.2%
Adelaide	All Combined	$675.47	-$2.04	-0.2%	+7.1%
Canberra	All Houses	$819.63	-$3.66	+1.2%	+4.0%
Canberra	All Units	$627.85	-$4.38	-1.6%	+4.5%
Canberra	All Combined	$692.74	-$5.72	-0.4%	+4.1%
Darwin	All Houses	$860.97	-$3.25	+3.6%	+10.8%
Darwin	All Units	$666.83	+$15.38	-2.5%	+7.5%
Darwin	All Combined	$757.05	+$5.91	-0.2%	+7.7%
Hobart	All Houses	$660.77	-$4.02	+0.7%	+7.4%
Hobart	All Units	$550.25	-$11.73	+0.4%	+3.2%
Hobart	All Combined	$630.79	-$4.22	+0.4%	+7.8%
National	All Houses	$777.75	+$0.15	+1.1%	+7.2%
National	All Units	$780.47	-$0.77	+1.0%	+8.3%
National	All Combined	$778.87	-$0.22	+1.0%	+7.6%
Cap City Average	All Houses	$797.68	-$1.47	+1.3%	+7.6%
Cap City Average	All Units	$690.94	-$1.95	-0.2%	+6.3%
Cap City Average	All Combined	$746.88	-$0.96	+0.4%	+7.0%

Average advertised weekly rent across all listings available during the week, Ripehouse Advisory rental listings database. Week runs Monday to Sunday; capital cities defined by GCCSA boundaries.