Western Australians smashed by rent hikes would be tens of thousands of dollars better off within years if a rent cap was introduced by this Christmas, a new report reveals.
Make Renting Fair’s ‘The Cap Still Fits’ report lays bare the extent of rent rises in WA since COVID, and projects how much renters could save over the next five years if a cap was introduced this year.
For the first time, the coalition of over 40 peak housing and homelessness bodies, frontline service providers, unions and community organisations has also outlined its preferred rent stabilisation mechanism: cap rent increases at 2% or CPI, whichever is the lowest.
The coalition argues the case for intervention has never been more urgent, and there are many examples where state and federal governments have intervened to make prices fairer and reduce inflation.
For example, the WA Government regulates electricity prices, public transport fares, and even private rents during COVID-lockdown; and the Federal Government directly intervened to stabilise petrol prices, and regulates pharmaceutical and medication prices on the PBS, private health insurance, gas and telecommunications prices, as well as inflation itself.
The report shows over the past five years (2021-2026):
● WA rents have increased seven times more than wages, and almost six times more than CPI
● In 2021, the majority of electorates had a median rent of $400 per week or under; by 2026, that figure was zero
● Rents have more than doubled, with the average WA renter now paying an extra $410 per week in rent – that’s $21,320 extra per year
● Rent caps are working in the ACT, and its real estate industry has adapted, saying the system provides transparency and certainty for renters and landlords
● If a rent cap of 2% had been introduced in 2021, the average WA renter would be
paying $374 per week in rent instead of $749 per week.
The report also found over the next five years (2026-2031):
● Without intervention, Perth metro median rents could reach more than $1,800 per week by 2031 if rents continue to rise as they have over the past five years ● Under these circumstances, if a rent cap of 2% were introduced by the end of 2026, Perth renters could save $32,916 and regional renters could save $29,900 over the next five years (metro and regional rent caps savings tables below)
→ Renters in Churchlands could save more than $41,000 while those in Armadale could save over $29,000
→ Renters in some regions save significantly more overall, e.g. over $58,000 in Karratha.
Table 1. Potential savings over the next five years if a 2% cap were introduced in 2026 VS “steady” 6.8% annual rent increase
| $ weekly rents (Based on 2026 median rents: Perth metro $785 per week and WA regional average of $710 per week) | |||||||
| 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 5 YEAR TOTAL SAVING | ||
| Metro | Rents if capped | $801 | $817 | $833 | $850 | $867 | |
| Rents if not | $838 | $895 | $956 | $1,021 | $1,091 | ||
| Regional | Annual Savings Rents if capped Rents if not | $1,924 $724 $758 | $4,056 $739 $810 | $6,396 $753 $865 | $8,892 $769 $924 | $11,648 $784 $987 | $32,916 |
Annual Savings
$1,768 $3,692 $5,824 $8,060 $10,556 $29,900
The report includes area-by-area breakdowns of rent increases and rent cap savings across metro and regional WA.
Make Renting Fair spokesperson and renter Kate Miller said:
“The alarm bells are blaring for a rent cap in WA. Rents keep rising with no reprieve in sight, and renters are struggling to keep up.
“Without intervention, we are heading towards a scenario where rents will cost nearly $2,000 a week in WA in five years’ time.
“Runaway rent increases aren’t sustainable, and we need urgent action. A rent cap is a way we can stop this brutal rental market from getting even worse.
“If a limit on annual rent increases was introduced by the end of this year, WA renters could be at least $25,000 better off in a few years’ time.
“Rent shouldn’t be a free-for-all where renters are just expected to cough up infinitely. We need a system that gives renters and landlords certainty and stops housing costs from spiralling further.
“Rent caps work in other places and they will work in WA. The reality is, rent caps haven’t disrupted markets in other jurisdictions.
“Rent caps are working in the ACT and the territory’s own real estate body has said it provides transparency for tenants and certainty for landlords. WA landlords support a rent cap too with polling consistently showing around seven in ten property investors back rent stabilisation.
“Renters are hurting and a rent cap is a sensible and crucial solution. Enough is enough! It’s past time the WA introduced a rent cap to protect renters and give them relief.”
Shelter WA CEO Kath Snell said:
“The scale of rent increases over recent years demands a policy response. Governments routinely intervene where markets are not delivering community benefit, and housing should be no exception. When rents more than double over five years, there is a clear responsibility to act to protect housing affordability and prevent further hardship for renters.
“Rents are sprinting away and the only way renters can catch a breath is for a cap on hikes. Without a rent cap, many parts of WA risk becoming communities where the next generation will be priced out for good. Imagine communities where even more children and grandchildren cannot live anywhere near their parents, or their work, or their network.
“Renters are already paying more than $400 extra per week in rent than they were five years ago.
“A rent cap today will provide life-changing savings for renters that could mean the difference between feeding their families, keeping the lights on, seeing a dentist or doctor, and having their car repaired.”
Vinnies WA Manager of Financial Counselling Services Suzanne Long said:
“By the time someone seeks help with rental arrears, they may already have exhausted their savings, accumulated significant debt and sacrificed other essential needs.
“We cannot expect people to budget their way out of a housing affordability crisis.
“Keeping a roof over your head should not mean going without food, falling behind on essential bills or accumulating debt that could take years to repay.
“Renters deserve more than just the ability to survive from one rental payment to the next. They deserve financial stability, housing security and the opportunity to get ahead.”
CEO Mark Glasson said:
“It is the role of governments to ensure people are supported to receive essential services when markets fail. They do it for pharmaceuticals, for energy, diesel and any number of other items.
“Housing is an essential service, and this report demonstrates, as many before it have, that the housing market in Western Australia is failing. This failure is punishing tenants and providing a windfall bonus to investors.
“Rent stabilisation is a practical policy tool that can improve security and affordability for renters. We know it works and it is needed in Western Australia.
Circle Green CEO Lorraine Keane said:
“Every day, we speak to renters across WA who are worried about whether they’ll still be able to afford their home in twelve months. Many are already making sacrifices to keep a roof over their heads and simply cannot absorb another rent increase.
“A sensible cap on rent increases would give renters greater certainty and predictability, allowing them to plan their lives, manage their household budgets, and remain connected to their communities.”
WACOSS CEO Louise Giolotto said:
“Behind every rent increase is a family making impossible choices between housing, food, healthcare and keeping a roof over their heads. This report shows why urgent action on rent caps is needed now.”
| Table 2. Potential savings in key Perth electorates by 2031 if a rent cap is introduced this year VS Scenario C: “steady” 6.8% annual rent increase | ||||
| 2026 weeklymedian rent | 2031 weeklymedian rent if acap is implemented in2026 | 2031 weekly rent without a cap in 2026 | Cumulative 5 year savings | |
| Armadale | $701 | $774 | $974 | $29,536 |
| Cannington | $776 | $857 | $1,078 | $32,656 |
| Churchlands | $988 | $1,091 | $1,373 | $41,600 |
| Cockburn | $784 | $866 | $1,089 | $32,864 |
| Fremantle | $840 | $927 | $1,167 | $35,360 |
| Kwinana | $600 | $662 | $834 | $25,324 |
| Landsdale | $825 | $911 | $1,146 | $34,684 |
| Maylands | $640 | $707 | $889 | $26,936 |
| Perth | $775 | $856 | $1,077 | $32,604 |
| Rockingham | $614 | $678 | $853 | $25,792 |
| Scarborough | $847 | $935 | $1,177 | $35,672 |
| Thornlie | $710 | $784 | $987 | $29,900 |
| West Swan | $819 | $904 | $1,138 | $34,528 |
| Table 3. Potential savings in worst-hit regional electorates by 2031 if a rent cap is introduced this year VS Scenario C: “steady” 6.8% annual rent increase | ||||
| 2026 weeklymedian rent | 2031 weeklymedian rent if acap isimplemented in2026 | 2031 weekly rent without a cap in 2026 | Cumulative 5 year savings | |
| Karratha (Pilbara) | $1,399 | $1,545 | $1,944 | $58,812 |
| Port Hedland (Pilbara) | $1,270 | $1,402 | $1,765 | $53,456 |
| Exmouth (Pilbara) | $1,305 | $1,441 | $1,813 | $54,912 |
| Broome (Kimberley) | $1,140 | $1,259 | $1,584 | $47,944 |
| Table 3. Potential savings in worst-hit regional electorates by 2031 if a rent cap is introduced this year VS Scenario C: “steady” 6.8% annual rent increase | ||||
| Vasse | $793 | $876 | $1,102 | $33,384 |
| Albany | $772 | $852 | $1,073 | $32,500 |
| Kununurra (Kimberley) | $720 | $795 | $1,000 | $30,316 |
| Carnarvon (Mid-West) | $567 | $626 | $788 | $23,920 |
| Augusta-Margaret River (Warren-Blackwood) | $790 | $872 | $1,098 | $33,280 |
| Kalgoorlie | $732 | $808 | $1,017 | $30,784 |
| Brunswick Junction (Murray-Wellington) | $640 | $653 | $889 | $26,936 |
| Mandurah | $602 | $614 | $836 | $25,272 |
| Collie-Preston | $545 | $556 | $757 | $22,932 |
Media contacts: Sofie Wainwright 0403 920 301 // Lauren Ferri 0422 581 506