Brisbane's house vacancy rates jump to second highest in the country
Brisbane houses have rose to the second highest vacancy rates in the country ahead of Darwin, a new report has shown.
Brisbane's house vacancies rose to 2.6 percent in September, while Darin tightened to 2.1 percent, Domain Group's rental report revealed.
Both are still some way off Perth's 4.2 percent vacancy rate.
Source: Domain Group
| Capital City | Houses September 2016 | Houses September 2015 |
| Perth | 4.2% | 3.2% |
| Brisbane | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Darwin | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Sydney | 2.0% | 1.8% |
| Adelaide | 1.8% | 1.7% |
| Melbourne | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| Canberra | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Hobart | 0.6% | 1.0% |
National Capital City | 2.3% | 2.1% |
Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson said Brisbane is a “tenant’s market”.
“The upwards bias of vacancy rates is really favouring tenants,” Dr Wilson said.
“When compared to other capital cities, it’s clearly become one of the best cities for renters in the country.”
“One positive is the number of jobs this has created.”
Median rent prices remain flat at $400 per week, which Dr Wilson said was due to more first home buyers.
Median rental prices by capital city for houses: Source Domain Group
| Capital City | Median House Rent September 2016 | Median House Rent September 2015 |
| Darwin | $550 | $590 |
| Sydney | $530 | $530 |
| Canberra | $475 | $450 |
| Brisbane | $400 | $400 |
| Melbourne | $400 | $390 |
| Perth | $380 | $420 |
| Adelaide | $350 | $350 |
| Hobart | $330 | $330 |
“Rents have been flat for some time now, and will likely continue into the foreseeable future.
"But yields are high in Brisbane – in fact, highest of the mainland, which is attractive to investors.
"However, the issue is securing a tenant, and that’s the challenge.”