More renters in Queensland are choosing to live together as single tenancies fast become an unaffordable luxury, new industry figures show.
The state’s residential vacancy rate fell to 0.9% in the first three months (quarter) of 2026, the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) says.
Its latest residential vacancy rate report found that the rate in 24 of 50 local government areas statewide had tightened compared to the last quarter of 2025 while 13 areas remain unchanged and it eased in 13 areas.
Chief executive officer Antonia Mercorella says cost-of-living pressures and persistent low vacancy rates are reshaping how renting is viewed.
“We are seeing a clear shift in rental behaviour with more tenants forming co-tenancies – joining forces to share costs and expand their options,” she says.
“Pooling resources can open the door to higher-quality properties or better-located homes that might otherwise be out of reach for individuals renting alone.”
Click here to visit the REIQ website.
RENTERS MOVING IN TOGETHER
She says this trend is especially obvious in Brisbane and across South-East Queensland where it’s “not uncommon” for four or more tenants to share premium properties.
“With plenty of major projects on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, we’re hearing about some cases of ‘drive-in, drive-out’ workers – where due to cost of fuel, tradies are renting in groups near their worksites during the week to avoid daily back and forth trips,” Mercorella says.
“We’re also noticing multi-generational living arrangements emerging with extended families coming together under one roof – grandparents, parents, and their young, teenage or adult children, renting larger 6–7-bedroom homes.”
Mercorella says co-tenancy is a practical response by renters to affordability pressures but is not a long-term solution.
“To ease pressure sustainably, we need to address housing supply; we need more pathways to help renters transition into home ownership where possible.”
MISMATCHED EXPECTATIONS
Mercorella also says vacancy rates do not paint a complete picture with real estate agents reporting that times for some rental listings on market is stretching out, coupled with a growing mismatch between lessor and tenant expectations.
“While lower-priced properties continue to attract strong competition, higher-priced listings are taking longer to lease particularly as discretionary spending is drying up,” she says.
“Feedback from our members indicates that some owners are setting rent expectations based on headlines rather than the quality and attributes of their property, leading to longer vacancy periods and, in some cases, attracting fewer suitable applicants.
“The overarching data shows vacancy rates are tight but translating that to a blanket expectation that your property will be rented for 52 weeks of the year without a vacancy and without even a short gap between a vacate and an entry is not necessarily realistic,” Mercorella says.
She also points out that traditional rental patterns have been disrupted as more renters break leases.
“What we once considered ‘rental seasons’ have largely disappeared as more frequent ‘break leases’ affect the normal flow of tenancies,” she says.
“This increases workloads for property managers, added costs for owners and reduced length of tenure of tenants.”
Mercorella also says industry feedback that they are receiving are highlighting a growing number of disputes through the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
“There is a strong call from the sector for a more balanced legislative framework that supports tenants and property owners,” she says.
MARCH 2026 VACANCY RATES (PER LGAS)
• Tightest: 0.0% in Cook, 0.1% in Charters Towers and Goondiwindi.
• Highest: 5.5% in Isaac, 3.5% in Bay Islands (including North Stradbroke, Russell, Macleay, Karragarra, Lamb, and Coochiemudlo Islands), 2.2% in Gladstone.
• Biggest falls: -0.6% for Isaac, -0.5% in Bay Island, -0.4% in Gladstone, Mount Isa, and Southern Downs.
• Biggest rises: 0.5% in Maroochy Coast Hinterland, 0.4% in Hervey Bay, 0.3% in Noosa. Supplied by REIQ.
EARLIER RENTAL NEWS: Scheme’s impending closure prompts call for help
