Rents are still rising fastest in regional towns that most investors never look at. Across 3,387 Australian suburbs with rent data, Handle Properties' analysis of SuburbsFinder data shows the median advertised rent rose 6.0% in the 12 months to September 2026. In the 10 tightest rental markets with a median price under $800,000, rents rose between 9.2% and 19.8%. Every one has vacancy of 1% or less, a gross yield of 4.5% or more, and rents that are also higher over three years, so none of these rises is a bounce back from a dip.
Mareeba in far north Queensland and Leeton in the NSW Riverina top the list, with rents up 19.8% in a year. Tasmania has the fastest rent growth of any state, at a median 9.5%.
Our numbers line up with the national picture. Cotality puts annual rent growth across Australia at 5.5% to September 2026, with Hobart (9.1%) second only to Darwin among the capitals. SQM Research puts the national vacancy rate at 1.4% for September.
By Ahijith (AJ) Chandra, co-founder, Handle Properties. Source: SuburbsFinder, September 2026 data (the latest available), pulled 9 November 2026.
These are the suburbs where the median weekly rent rose most in the 12 months to September 2026, among suburbs with a median price between $250,000 and $800,000, vacancy of 1% or less, a gross yield of 4.5% or more, at least 10 rental listings, at least 60 sales a year and a population of at least 4,000.
| # | Suburb | Rent change, 12 months | Rent change, 3 years | Median weekly rent | Vacancy | Gross yield | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mareeba, QLD 4880 | +19.8% | +36.9% | $575 | 0.80% | 5.16% | $580,000 |
| 2 | Leeton, NSW 2705 | +19.8% | +28.8% | $515 | 0.68% | 5.36% | $500,000 |
| 3 | New Norfolk, TAS 7140 | +17.5% | +22.2% | $550 | 0.88% | 5.14% | $556,000 |
| 4 | Dalby, QLD 4405 | +16.0% | +38.1% | $580 | 0.43% | 5.29% | $570,000 |
| 5 | Devonport, TAS 7310 | +12.8% | +26.2% | $530 | 0.88% | 4.59% | $601,000 |
| 6 | Inverell, NSW 2360 | +12.5% | +21.6% | $450 | 0.84% | 4.54% | $515,000 |
| 7 | Casino, NSW 2470 | +11.5% | +20.8% | $580 | 0.57% | 5.53% | $545,500 |
| 8 | Newman, WA 6753 | +11.5% | +22.3% | $795 | 0.82% | 9.51% | $434,500 |
| 9 | Chinchilla, QLD 4413 | +10.0% | +30.9% | $550 | 0.82% | 5.29% | $541,000 |
| 10 | Maddington, WA 6109 | +9.2% | +45.6% | $699 | 0.91% | 4.62% | $787,500 |
Source: SuburbsFinder, September 2026 data, pulled 9 November 2026. Analysis by Handle Properties.
Click a suburb name for its full profile, including price growth, days on market and Handle's score.
Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland lead on rent growth. South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia are the tightest on vacancy. That matches the capital-city pattern reported by Cotality and SQM Research. The Northern Territory is left out of this table because only four NT suburbs are in the dataset.
| State | Median rent change, 12 months | Median vacancy | Suburbs under 1% vacancy | Median weekly rent | Suburbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAS | +9.5% | 0.88% | 60% | $570 | 125 |
| WA | +7.2% | 0.91% | 57% | $750 | 409 |
| QLD | +7.1% | 1.17% | 29% | $699 | 822 |
| NSW | +5.5% | 1.42% | 23% | $740 | 1,022 |
| SA | +5.2% | 0.74% | 72% | $640 | 329 |
| VIC | +4.8% | 1.53% | 24% | $595 | 593 |
| ACT | +3.1% | 1.20% | 37% | $723 | 83 |
Source: SuburbsFinder, September 2026 data, pulled 9 November 2026. Analysis by Handle Properties.
Fast rent growth with sub-1% vacancy usually means demand for rentals is running ahead of supply. For an investor, that shows up as shorter vacancies and stronger negotiating power at lease renewal. It does not mean every suburb on this list is a good buy. These are small markets, some depend on one industry (Newman is a Pilbara mining town), and some have had big price rises already.
That is why we never buy off one number. Every property we buy for clients has to pass a screen of 30+ data points, including population, income, infrastructure and supply, as well as rent and vacancy. Rent growth tells you where to look. It does not tell you what to buy.
Book a free 20-minute call and we'll build your Exit Plan live: your job-optional number and the order to buy in.
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Among suburbs with a median price under $800,000, vacancy of 1% or less and at least 10 rental listings, rents rose fastest in Mareeba, Queensland and Leeton, NSW (both up 19.8% in the 12 months to September 2026), followed by New Norfolk, Tasmania (up 17.5%), based on Handle Properties' analysis of SuburbsFinder data.
Across 3,387 suburbs with rent data in Handle's analysis of SuburbsFinder data, the median advertised rent rose 6.0% in the 12 months to September 2026. Cotality's national measure was 5.5%. In that data, growth was fastest in Tasmania (a median 9.5%) and slowest in the ACT (3.1%) and Victoria (4.8%).
South Australia. In September 2026 the median suburb vacancy rate in South Australia was 0.74%, and 72% of South Australian suburbs had vacancy under 1%. Across all 3,387 suburbs, 35% were under 1%.
On its own, no. Fast rent growth and low vacancy point to strong rental demand, but small markets can swing on a few leases, and price, supply, population and income all matter. Handle screens every purchase on 30+ data points before recommending it.
Handle Properties is a licensed buyers agency and a PIPA member. We are not financial, credit, tax or superannuation advisers. This article is general information only, not financial advice. Figures are historical and are not a promise of future performance.
After a decade of side ventures and lessons, 2026 marks my first full year all-in on Handle. No safety nets — just focus, growth and the work behind building something that lasts.
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