RENTAL STRESS

'Rental stress' is a term often used to describe households at risk of experiencing difficulty meeting their rental costs. High levels of rental stress mean that affordability may be low and, as a result, those households experiencing rental stress may be less able to rent housing that meets their basic needs.

Low income households in rental stress are more likely to be renting basic shelter. In contrast, higher income households have the economic resources available to allow them to choose to consume a wider range of housing services. The indicator on rental stress therefore relates solely to low income households.

The proportion of low income renter households in rental stress has remained fairly constant over the past 10 years (36% in both 1997-98 and 2007-08). The proportion of low income private renter households in rental stress declined from 55% in 1997-98 to 44% in 2007-08. Over the same period the proportion of low income public renter households in rental stress increased from 5% to 17%.