30pc rent increase warning echoes Labor’s 1980s hikes

While new modelling suggesting rents could surge by as much as 30 per cent over the next two years has caused shock, its a figure that echoes the rental hikes recorded in some capital cities after the Hawke government’s 1985 negative gearing changes, that were later reversed in 1987. Recent modelling from NAB and Ray White has outlined a scenario in which rents could rise substantially to compensate investors for the loss of tax concessions due to coming changes to negative gearing. The modelling has raised questions about the potential impact of the Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese tax reforms, while adding to concerns about an already tight rental market. The government had forecast the changes would increase rents by just $2 a week, yet rents across many Sydney suburbs have already risen by significantly more than that, with about 60 per cent of suburbs recording rises in rents over the June quarter. Recent listings also spotlight the scale of some individual increases. A Darlinghurst apartment that was advertised for $1025 a week in 2025 is now listed at $1675 a week. In Dover Heights, another apartment has risen from $790 a week in 2025 to $895 a week in 2026. 320 Liverpool S...