The number every Brisbane renter sees — $695 a week — is the median advertised rent from realestate.com.au as of June 2026. It is what landlords ask. It is not necessarily what tenants pay.
Bond lodgement data from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing tells a different story. When a tenant signs a lease and the bond is lodged, the rent recorded reflects the actual transaction: the negotiated price, the lease renewal, the mix of property types. Across ten Brisbane suburbs we examined, bond-based median rents range from $569 to $814 a week — a $245 spread that the advertised figure conceals entirely.
This is the rent gap, and it matters for anyone trying to understand what housing actually costs in Brisbane.
The rent gap: advertised vs bond data
What advertised rents tell you (and don't)
Advertised rent is a listing price. It reflects what landlords and agents believe the market will bear at the moment a property is listed. It skews toward newer, higher-quality stock and inner-city apartments. It does not capture lease renewals, where existing tenants often negotiate below the advertised median, or the full spectrum of property conditions across a suburb.
REA's June 2026 median of $695/week represents a 6.9% year-on-year increase. CoreLogic, measuring a month earlier, put houses at $680/week and units at $570/week. Both figures are useful benchmarks. Neither tells you what a specific tenant in a specific suburb is actually paying.
What bond lodgement data reveals
The DFFH publishes quarterly bond data by postcode. It records the weekly rent tenants pay when their bond is lodged — a transaction-level dataset that captures the full range of rents, including renewals and properties that never appear on listing portals.
We pulled DFFH data for the period ending June 2026 across ten Brisbane suburbs spanning inner, middle, and outer rings. The results show rents that diverge meaningfully from advertised figures.
Why the two numbers diverge
Advertised and bond rents measure different populations of tenancies. Advertised rents capture new listings. Bond data captures all new tenancies, including renewals and properties with less online visibility. In suburbs dominated by apartments — South Brisbane (94.3%), Fortitude Valley (96.7%), Chermside (58.8%) — bond data reflects the full apartment stock, not just the most aggressively marketed units.
The divergence also reflects timing. Advertised rents respond quickly to market shifts. Bond data lags by the quarter, smoothing out short-term fluctuations and revealing the underlying trend.
Brisbane's rental market in 2026: the headline numbers
Median advertised rent: $695/week
REA Group reported Brisbane's median weekly advertised rent hit $695 in June 2026, up 6.9% year-on-year. CoreLogic's May 2026 figures showed $680/week for houses and $570/week for units. Both sources agree the pace of growth is slowing — quarterly increases are at their lowest since 2020 — but the cumulative effect since 2020 is stark: Brisbane rents have risen more than 40% in five years.
Vacancy rates still below 1.5%
Vacancy rates remain structurally tight. SQM Research, The Researcher, and ProperEasy report figures ranging from 0.9% to 1.6%, depending on methodology and month. At these levels, landlords retain pricing power and tenants have limited negotiating leverage — a dynamic that pushes advertised rents closer to the ceiling of what the market will tolerate.
Suburb-by-suburb: what tenants actually pay
The following data comes from DFFH bond lodgement records for the period ending June 2026, compared against Census median weekly rents and REA advertised medians where available.
Inner ring ($668–$814/week bond data)
| Suburb | Bond median (DFFH) | YoY change | Census median | Rented % | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Brisbane | $814 | +4.1% | $470 | 71.9% | 17,564 |
| Paddington | $775 | −0.1% | $470 | 43.6% | 9,311 |
| Ascot | $726 | +4.0% | $390 | 41.8% | 7,399 |
| Fortitude Valley | $707 | +1.7% | $400 | 82.0% | 12,108 |
| New Farm | $668 | −1.2% | $405 | 54.8% | 13,615 |
South Brisbane stands out: bond-based rents of $814/week exceed the advertised median. The suburb is 94.3% apartments, with a young population (median age 29) and high rental demand (71.9% rented). The DFFH figure captures the full apartment stock, not just the premium end that advertised rents tend to reflect.
New Farm is the only suburb showing a year-on-year decline in bond data (−1.2%), suggesting lease renewals are coming in below last year's levels even as advertised rents across Brisbane continue to rise.
Middle ring ($642–$666/week bond data)
| Suburb | Bond median (DFFH) | YoY change | Census median | Rented % | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coorparoo | $666 | +3.5% | $380 | 45.9% | 19,500 |
| Tarragindi | $646 | +3.0% | $450 | 20.6% | 11,732 |
| Chermside | $642 | +4.7% | $370 | 66.4% | 13,429 |
Middle-ring suburbs show the most consistent bond-to-Census gap. Coorparoo's bond median of $666/week is 75% above the Census figure of $380. Chermside, with the fastest year-on-year growth in this group (+4.7%), reflects ongoing demand in the north-east corridor.
Outer ring ($569/week bond data)
| Suburb | Bond median (DFFH) | YoY change | Census median | Rented % | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redbank Plains | $569 | +3.6% | $350 | 59.2% | 29,289 |
| Springfield Lakes | $696 | +3.6% | $410 | 43.7% | 18,857 |
Redbank Plains and Springfield Lakes tell different stories. Springfield Lakes, a newer master-planned community with zero apartments, commands a bond median of $696/week — higher than many middle-ring suburbs. Redbank Plains, one of Brisbane's largest growth corridors (population 29,289), sits at $569/week, still 63% above its Census median.
Why bond rents differ from advertised rents
Negotiation and lease renewal dynamics
When a tenant renews a lease, the agreed rent often falls below the advertised median for new listings. Landlords frequently accept modest increases rather than risk vacancy. Bond data captures both new leases and renewals, pulling the median toward what existing tenants actually pay — a figure that advertised rents systematically miss.
New lease vs existing tenant pricing
New leases tend to price at or above the advertised median, particularly in tight markets. Existing tenants pay less on average, but their rents are invisible on listing portals. The DFFH dataset is one of the few sources that captures both populations.
Property mix and dwelling type
Advertised rents are weighted toward properties that agents actively market — typically newer, renovated, or premium stock. Bond data covers the full universe of rental properties, including older stock, houses, and properties that never appear on portals. This structural difference means bond data gives a more representative picture of the overall market.
What this means for renters and landlords
For renters: budget for bond data, not just listings
If you are looking to rent in Brisbane, advertised rents are a ceiling, not a guarantee. Bond data suggests actual rents can be higher or lower than advertised medians depending on the suburb. Inner-city suburbs like South Brisbane and Paddington show bond rents exceeding advertised figures, while outer suburbs like Redbank Plains sit well below. Checking DFFH bond data — available through Districts suburb profiles — gives a more realistic expectation of what you will actually pay.
For landlords: are you pricing to market or to the listing?
Advertised rents may not reflect the true clearing price in your suburb. In some areas, bond data exceeds advertised medians (South Brisbane, Paddington, Ascot), suggesting room to price more aggressively. In others, bond data falls short, indicating advertised rents are above what the market is actually delivering. Pricing to bond data, not listing data, produces more accurate yield projections.
For investors: gross yield vs net yield reality
The gap between advertised and bond rents directly affects yield calculations. Gross yields based on advertised rents overstate returns in suburbs where bond data runs lower, and understate them where bond data runs higher. For investors evaluating Brisbane suburbs, DFFH bond data provides the more reliable rental income signal.
Methodology
DFFH bond lodgement data for the period ending June 2026 was sourced from Districts suburb profiles for ten Brisbane suburbs across inner, middle, and outer rings. Census median weekly rents are from the most recent ABS Census. REA median advertised rent ($695/week, June 2026) and CoreLogic figures (houses $680/week, units $570/week, May 2026) are from published reports. Vacancy rates are from SQM Research, The Researcher, and ProperEasy. All figures are presented as reported by their respective sources.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between advertised rent and bond data?
Advertised rent is the asking price landlords list on portals like realestate.com.au and Domain. Bond data comes from DFFH (Department of Families, Fairness and Housing) lodgement records — the actual rent tenants pay when they sign a lease. Bond data reflects negotiated outcomes, lease renewals, and the full mix of property types, while advertised rents skew toward new listings.
Where does Brisbane's bond rent data come from?
The DFFH publishes quarterly bond lodgement data by postcode across Queensland. It records the weekly rent actually paid by tenants when their bond is lodged, providing a more accurate picture of market rents than advertised listings alone.
Which Brisbane suburbs have the biggest rent gap?
South Brisbane shows the largest gap: advertised rents around $695/week versus DFFH bond data of $814/week — bond rents actually exceed advertised medians, reflecting high demand for inner-city apartments. Paddington ($775/week bond vs lower advertised) and Ascot ($726/week bond) also show bond rents above advertised figures. Outer suburbs like Redbank Plains show the opposite pattern, with bond data ($569/week) falling below advertised medians.
Are Brisbane rents still going up in 2026?
Yes, but the pace is moderating. REA reported a 6.9% annual increase to a median of $695/week as of June 2026, while CoreLogic's May 2026 figure was $680/week for houses and $570/week for units. Quarterly growth is at its slowest since 2020. DFFH bond data shows year-on-year increases of 1.7–4.7% across most Brisbane suburbs, with New Farm a notable exception at -1.2%.
How do Brisbane rents compare to other capitals?
Brisbane's median advertised rent of $695/week sits below Sydney but has closed the gap significantly. Brisbane's 40%+ cumulative rent growth since 2020 outpaced most other capitals. Vacancy rates remain tight at 0.9–1.6%, sustaining upward pressure on rents.