Low income families are being locked out of rental properties in southern Queensland, with some areas offering zero options for those on income support or minimum wage.
The dire finding was revealed in Anglicare Southern Queensland’s 2026 Rental Affordability Snapshot, which revealed that the rental market was now effectively out of reach for many of the region’s lowest income households, particularly young families with children.
Of the 8163 rental listings surveyed across southern Queensland, just 26 properties or 0.3 per cent were affordable and appropriate for households on income support.
Tent cities emerged across the state as the rental crisis worsened over the past few years. Picture, John Gass
For those on minimum wage, only 444 properties or 5.4 per cent were affordable and appropriate.
The report warned that the situation has only continued to worsen, with 483 fewer rentals available across southern Queensland than in 2025.
Source: Anglicare
Of the rentals currently available, none were affordable and appropriate for every household category on income support, and almost every household on minimum wage, with the sole exception of couple households where both adults are working.
Anglicare Southern Queensland CEO Sue Cooke said each year the organisation was hopeful that the data would stabilise.
“While many Australians are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis, Queenslanders already under growing financial pressures are experiencing the greatest impact, particularly when it comes to safe and secure housing,” Ms Cooke said.
“The ripple effect of unaffordable and unavailable housing extends beyond the need for a roof over your head, particularly for young families and children who are most at risk.”
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This one bed villa at Robina is listed for $280 a week and is currently the cheapest rental on the Gold Coast
Ms Cooke said the report highlighted the disproportionate impact of the rental crisis on children and families, with zero per cent affordable and appropriate rental properties for households on income support with children.
“This is not just a story about unaffordable and unavailable housing – it is about the wellbeing of those who are doing it tough right now,” Ms Cooke said.
“When families cannot secure stable, affordable and appropriate housing, children are more likely to experience overcrowding, repeated moves, disruption at school, and poorer physical and mental health.
“In overcrowded households, children can end up sleeping in living rooms, on floors, or other spaces not designed to be bedrooms simply because families have run out of options.
It also increases their likelihood of experiencing homelessness and family violence.
“In the past year, we have supported women, children and young people experiencing or at the risk of experiencing homelessness, seeing firsthand the anxiety, hunger, lack of sleep, disrupted education and the worries they live with each day.
“We see families skipping meals, working multiple jobs and cutting essentials and health appointments just to keep a roof over their head. This is the heartbreaking reality behind this report’s figures.”
The cheapest rental on the Sunshine Coast is a single room listed for $160 a week in Kenilworth, but there are currently no vacancies, with tenants asked to register interest
In Brisbane, 417 fewer properties were listed than this time last year, with affordable and appropriate options falling from 20 to 9 for households on income support and from 75 to 26 for those on minimum wage.
Brisbane’s cheapest house for rent is a two bedroom cottage at Karana Downs, which is listed for $450 a week, which would be out of reach of singles with or without dependents on a fortnightly unemployment benefit
On the Gold Coast, there were no affordable and appropriate properties for households on income support and just one for those on minimum wage.
A tent city sprung up at Southport in 2025. Picture Glenn Hampson
The Sunshine Coast was no better, with no affordable and appropriate properties for any of the 14 household types assessed.
“What we’re seeing in Moreton Bay is the reality for a lot of regions across Southern Queensland,” Ms Cooke said.
Source: Anglicare
Sadly, zero per cent of the properties for almost all household types with children were both affordable and appropriate.
“Stable housing for children is a right, not a privilege, and should be treated as such – it underpins their ability to grow, meet developmental milestones and thrive.”
This Redcliffe unit was the only property with two bedrooms under $400 a week, with the only other options single rooms in share houses.
Supporting Queenslanders doing it toughest Ms Cooke said investment into more appropriate and importantly, affordable, housing from all levels of Government is critical in protecting Queenslanders unable to find a place to call home.
“Rental affordability is worsening, and there is little in this data to suggest meaningful relief is on the horizon,” Ms Cooke said.
“With the National Rental Affordability Scheme finishing at the end of this financial year, we are calling on the Australian government to invest more social and affordable housing at the scale this crisis demands, and support income support settings that do not leave people locked out of affordable and available housing from the outset.
“For households relying on Jobseeker and other income support payments, this is not a question of budgeting better. The numbers simply do not stack up.”
Southern Qld vacancy rate. Source: SQM Research
It comes after the latest realestate.com.au Market Insight revealed that the median weekly advertised rent across the capital cities increased 4.6 per cent to $680 per week over the three months to March, jumping $30 per week compared to the December quarter.
Rents in regional areas grew faster than the capital cities, with combined house and unit rents surging 9.1 per cent in a year.
The median weekly rent for houses and units combined in both Brisbane and regional Queensland is now $680 a week after both recorded growth of 4.6 per cent over the past year.
According to SQM Research, the combined vacancy rate of southern Queensland as of March sat at just 0.6 per cent.
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% of properties affordable and appropriate – Southern Qld
Region & available rentals/% of unique properties for households on income support/% of unique properties for households on minimum wage
BRISBANE (3027): 9 (0.1%); 26 (0.3%)
DARLING DOWNS-MARANOA (351): 8 (0.15); 105 (1.3%)
GOLD COAST (1487): 0 (0%); 1 (0%)
IPSWICH (651): 0 (0%); 95 (1.2%)
LOGAN-BEAUDESERT (741): 2 (0%); 68 (0.8%)
MORETON BAY (779): 1 (0%); 70 (0.9%)
QLD OUTBACK SOUTH (4): 3 (0%); 3 (0%)
SUNSHINE COAST (651): 0 (0%); 0 (0%)
WIDE BAY (472): 3 (0%); 76 (0.9%)
OVERALL (8163): 26 (0.3%); 444 (5.4%)
(Source: Anglicare Southern Queensland Rental Affordability Snapshot)
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