Renting a room in shared accommodation has surged in popularity due to the shortage of available rental properties across Australia and the record high cost of renting.
Homeowners are also increasingly renting out spare rooms to help pay their bills.
This has led to a 34% rise in the number of rooms posted on share accommodation site flatmates.com.au in May 2024, compared to the same time last year, across the combined capital cities.
Sydney has experienced a 45% increase during the same period, likely because it is the most expensive city for buying and renting in Australia, and share accommodation has become a cheaper option for Sydneysiders.
| Year-on-year % change | |
| Combined Capitals | 34% |
| Sydney | 45% |
| Melbourne | 34% |
| Brisbane | 32% |
| Adelaide | 26% |
| Perth | 35% |
| Hobart | -3% |
| Darwin | 10% |
| Canberra | -21% |
The suburbs that have the highest number of listings are also the suburbs where the demand is highest, such as Bondi Beach, which currently has 174 rooms available and 944 people looking.
In Melbourne it is the same in the CBD area, where there are the most rooms for rent and also the largest number of people looking.
However, some suburbs have more rooms available than people searching, while in others, the number of seekers exceeds the available rooms.
In City Beach, Perth, potential renters have no chance of finding a room as none are listed, despite 102 people looking.
| Suburb | City | People Listings | Room Listings |
| City Beach | Perth | 102 | 0 |
| East Perth | Perth | 287 | 3 |
| City of Sydney | Sydney | 93 | 0 |
| The Rocks | Sydney | 87 | 1 |
| Subiaco | Perth | 427 | 6 |
| Mount Gravatt | Brisbane | 207 | 3 |
| Swanbourne | Perth | 68 | 0 |
| West Leederville | Perth | 65 | 1 |
| Barangaroo | Sydney | 61 | 1 |
| Fremantle | Perth | 508 | 9 |
Demand is also high in Sydney CBD, the Rocks, and Mount Gravatt in Brisbane despite there also being no rooms to rent.
In Adelaide’s sought-after Glenelg, 219 people are looking for a room, but there are only four available.
There is some good news for renters: in St Albans, in Melbourne's North-East, there are 23 rooms for rent but only two people looking, and in Banksia Beach, Brisbane, one person is looking with seven rooms available.
| Suburb | City | People Listings | Room Listings |
| Saint Albans | Melbourne | 2 | 23 |
| Banksia Beach | Brisbane | 1 | 7 |
| Wandi | Perth | 0 | 6 |
| Narellan Vale | Sydney | 1 | 5 |
| North Saint Marys | Sydney | 2 | 10 |
| Saint Ives | Sydney | 1 | 5 |
| Cobbitty | Sydney | 0 | 5 |
| Saint Peters | Sydney | 4 | 18 |
| The Vines | Perth | 1 | 4 |
| Saint Kilda East | Melbourne | 15 | 52 |
Some suburbs have no active seekers, like Wandi in Perth, and Cobbitty and Melonba in Sydney.
These suburbs may not be central but offer more choice and cheaper rents for those wanting to avoid the city's hustle and bustle.
Finding a property within budget is increasingly difficult, making shared accommodation a more affordable option for renters of all ages.
Those willing to look in neighbouring suburbs or slightly further afield can find more choice at cheaper prices than in the inner city.
