Rent growth is cooling across the country. Here’s what that means for Griffith landlords, tenants and investors

Rents have been one of the loudest stories in property for years. This month, the volume dropped.

Cotality’s latest Rental Review, covering the September quarter, shows national rents rose just 0.5% over the three months. That’s the slowest quarter in a long while, down from 1.6% in June and 2.1% in March. Annual growth has eased to 5.5%, national vacancy has lifted to 2.1% (it was 1.7% a quarter earlier), and the national median rent sits at $713 a week.

If you own a rental in Griffith, rent in Griffith, or you’re weighing up whether to buy an investment here, it’s fair to ask whether any of that applies to us. Here’s our read.

What’s happening nationally

The cooling is real, but it’s uneven. Sydney was the only capital to record a fall in the quarter (down 0.4%), and its vacancy rate has moved up to 2.5%. Hobart’s vacancy has more than doubled in a year. Adelaide remains the tightest capital at 1.4%.

Regional markets held up better. Regional rents grew 0.8% in the September quarter, double the 0.4% across the capital cities. Cotality’s research director Tim Lawless describes rental growth as having reached, or being close to, a ceiling. That’s a very different message to the one landlords have been hearing for the last three years.

Where Griffith sits

Our local numbers have been following their own script. Vacancy has been sitting near 1%, median house rent is around $523 a week, and gross yields are holding around 4.34%. That’s a stronger yield than the national figure of 3.85% and well ahead of Sydney’s 3.40%.

Griffith is also where a lot of people want to live and very few homes are available to rent. Rental stock is thin, and tenants for a well-presented property are not hard to find. That’s the benefit of a smaller market with steady local demand from agriculture, health, education and food production.

We’ll be upfront on one point. A national ceiling doesn’t make Griffith immune. When rents stop climbing in the big cities, the pressure on regional markets can ease too, and tenants everywhere are stretched. The sensible approach for a landlord now is to plan for steady rather than spectacular.

If you’re a landlord

Rent increases can still happen, but the easy gains have passed. A few things matter more now than chasing the highest number:

• Review your rent against the market, not against last year. If your property hasn’t been reviewed for twelve months, it’s worth a look. A modest, well-timed increase is often better received, and better for retention, than a big jump that sends a good tenant looking elsewhere.
• Keep good tenants. In a tight market, a vacancy costs far more than a few dollars a week. A tenant who pays on time and looks after the place is worth holding on to.
• Look at your holding costs. With the RBA cash rate at 4.60% after four rises this year, interest is likely your biggest expense. If you have a variable loan, talk to your broker about whether your rate is competitive.
• Think about summer. Tenants move heavily in December and January in Griffith. If you have a lease ending over that period, the time to talk to your property manager is now, not in the first week of December.
• Don’t skip maintenance. A well-presented home attracts better tenants faster and holds its rent. Heating, cooling and garden care before summer all pay for themselves.

If you’re a tenant

A softer national rental market is not a free pass to expect lower rents here, but it does mean more room to have a conversation. If you’re a reliable tenant at the end of a lease, ask about renewal early. If you’re looking, be ready: have your references, ID and application prepared so you can move fast when the right place appears.

If you’re an investor, or thinking about becoming one

Cooling rent growth is a reason to run your numbers carefully, not a reason to stand still. Griffith’s combination of a median house value well under the national median, solid yields and tight vacancy is the kind of profile that looks sensible when growth slows, because the income is doing more of the work. At the same time, borrowing power has dropped, so what you can afford has shrunk. Get your finance position confirmed before you start looking, and check the numbers with your accountant.

If you own and are thinking of selling your investment

Some owners will look at a flat rental market and a stack of rate rises and wonder if it’s time to sell. That can be a good decision, particularly if your plans have changed. If you’re weighing it up, ask for a rental appraisal and a sales appraisal side by side, so you can see what the property earns against what it could sell for. We’re happy to walk you through both.

The bottom line

The national story is a rental market that has stopped sprinting. Griffith’s story is a tight market, healthy yields and steady demand. Neither is a reason to panic, and both are a reason to make sure your property is priced and presented for the market you actually have.

Know your numbers. Know your market. Review before you renew.

Please note: this is general information only, not financial, tax or legal advice. Market figures are drawn from Cotality’s September 2026 Home Value Index and weekend auction reports, and Griffith figures are from earlier SOUL reporting. Past performance isn’t a guarantee of future results, and every property is different. Speak to your broker, accountant and conveyancer before making decisions.

Know your numbers. Know your market. Feels right.