Facts checked on 22 and 23 October 2026 against the sources linked below. Rules change often — check the official page before you act. This is shared experience, not legal, migration or financial advice.

What rent looks like in 2026

realestate.com.au's September 2026 report put the median advertised rent at a record A$675 a week across Australia: A$800 in Sydney, A$750 in Perth (up 8.7% in a year), A$630 in Adelaide and A$600 in Melbourne. Suburb figures matter more than these. Book a short stay for your first days rather than signing a lease from India.

Where people rent, by city

  • Sydney (SQM index, week ending 20 October 2026): two-bedroom units in Parramatta and Harris Park about A$734, houses in Blacktown about A$656. In Parramatta, Harris Park and Strathfield a two-bedroom unit, usually shared, costs about A$660 to A$780. Check any postcode on Rent Check.
  • Melbourne (REIV snapshots, house / unit): Tarneit A$530 / A$460, Craigieburn A$550 / A$470, Clayton near Monash A$670 / A$610, and a one-bedroom unit in Dandenong A$360.
  • Brisbane (RTA, new tenancies, September quarter 2026): a three-bedroom house in Runcorn A$670, Sunnybank Hills A$660. In Indooroopilly, Toowong and Kangaroo Point a two-bedroom flat, usually shared, costs about A$740 to A$830. The RTA's quick finder shows any postcode.
  • Perth (SQM): houses in Harrisdale and Piara Waters about A$734. Curtin students rent in Bentley or Cannington or share in the city, where a two-bedroom unit costs about A$670 to A$835, usually shared by two to four people.
  • Adelaide (SQM): houses in Enfield, Clearview, Northfield, Klemzig and Greenacres about A$680 to A$720, and a two-bedroom unit in Mawson Lakes about A$548.

Where a postcode has few listings the figure moves by tens of dollars from week to week, so treat every number as a guide.

The bond, state by state

The bond is held by a state body, not by the landlord. Always ask for the receipt and the bond number.

  • New South Wales: at most four weeks' rent, held by NSW Fair Trading. Agents may not charge application or background-check fees (since 31 October 2024).
  • Victoria: at most one month's rent unless the rent is over A$900 a week. It is lodged with the RTBA, which sends a receipt with a bond number within seven days. Rent bidding is banned.
  • Queensland: at most four weeks' rent, lodged with the RTA within 10 days. Pay it only after you sign the agreement.
  • Western Australia: at most four weeks' rent where the rent is A$1,200 a week or less, plus an A$350 pet bond, and two weeks' rent in advance at most.
  • South Australia: four weeks' rent up to A$800 a week, six weeks above that. You get a receipt within 48 hours and a bond number from CBS.

Share houses and rooms

In Melbourne a room in a share house is usually rented under a lease in the head tenant's name. Ask who holds the bond, ask to see the RTBA receipt, and keep your own copy of the lease. Count the people the house is meant to hold, too: beds let in the garage or the lounge room are a safety risk.

Scams

The usual openings: a place at half the going rent, an owner overseas who will post the keys, a request to pay before a viewing, or a room "for international students, no inspection needed". Queensland's RTA has a page on student accommodation and rental scams. Never pay for a home you have not stood inside, never pay into an account that is not the owner's or a registered agent's, and never hand over a passport or visa as "security".

What to ask here

  • Is this rent fair for this suburb, and what did you pay nearby?
  • Who holds the bond in this share house, and is there a receipt?
  • Which suburb works for my campus, hospital or office without a car?
  • Has anyone seen this listing or this landlord before?

The full Namaste guide: Indians in Australia, with suburb-by-suburb rents in each city guide.