Queensland tenants hoping to secure a home for under $500 a week may have to look to the regions for a house or settle for a unit in the city.

There are now just 190 suburbs across the state with a median house rent below $500 a week, down from 627 just four years ago.

The latest PropTrack Rent Report shows that Longreach is the cheapest place to rent a house in Queensland right now, with a median of $340 a week.

Aerial view of the Qantas Founders Museum at Longreach.Photo: Contributed

---

The next cheapest house suburbs can be found in Charters Towers, Ayr, Ingham and Biloela at $350 a week, followed by Collinsville ($355), Blackwater ($365), Mount Morgan and Dysart ($380, and in Brisbane, Russell Island ($390) and Macleay Island ($398).

The cheapest house suburbs on Brisbane’s mainland are all located in the Ipswich region – One Mile ($420), Riverview, North Ipswich and Ipswich ($450).

Units offer the cheapest weekly rents, ranging from $250 in Pioneer in the outback to $500 in inner-city suburbs such as Clayfield and Wooloowin.

But even Rockhampton, which is one of Queensland’s most affordable places to rent, has seen asking prices spike 13.75 per cent during the July quarter, with average unit rents increasing from $400 to $455 in three months.

MORE: The rich list families impacted by Hilton helicopter crash fallout

Qld waterfront locations where it is cheaper to buy than rent

Unaffordable: 10 worst markets ranked

412a Campbell Street, Rockhampton City, is a renovated shop house and is listed for $450 a week

---

And Goondiwindi, where the vacancy rate is effectively zero, has seen median asking rents for houses jump 11.63 per cent to $480 a week, up from $430 a week ago.

But that pales in comparison to the 26.32 per cent increase in rent prices over the year, with median asking price up $100 on the same time last year.

At the other end of the spectrum, Minyama on the Sunshine Coast has recorded the biggest increase in rent prices, year-on-year, up 37.65 per cent for houses to $1170.

A two-bedroom unit at Mitchell is listed for $175 a week

---

The research comes after PropTrack revealed that the national vacancy rate held stead in July, dropping just 0.01 percentage points to 1.42 per cent.

“While conditions remain incredibly tough for Australia’s renters, rental supply has improved over the past three months, with the national vacancy rate rising 0.18 percenatge points to 1.42 per cent,” PropTrack senior economist Anne Flaherty said.

“Capital cities have seen the largest improvement, with vacancy up in six of the eight cities over the quarter.”

Sadly, Brisbane was not one of them.

A one bedroom “retreat” at 33a Atkinson Road, Bli Bli, is listed for $500 a week

---

The Brisbane vacancy rate fell 0.05 percentage points to 1.16 per cent, well below the combined capital vacancy rate of 1.47 per cent.

Regional Queensland vacancy rates remained unchanged at 1.27 per cent, slightly below the regional average of 1.28 per cent nationally.

75 Martyn Street, Parramatta Park, in Cairns, is listed for $480 a week

---

Since March 2020, vacancy rates have tanked across Queensland, down 47 per cent in Greater Brisbane and 48 per cent in the combined regions.

Rental listings on realestate.com.au paint a picture of what is available to tenants with a ceiling of $500 a week.

At Guanaba, $475 a week will get you a standalone, one-bedroom cottage with a new kitchen on acreage.

The catch? The owners live onsite in the main house.

This cottage at Guanaba is listed for $475 a week

---

Other options include a two-bedroom house at Woodridge ($440), a three-bedroom house at Kelso ($460), a four-bedroom house at Dalby ($440), and a one-bedroom “retreat” at Bli Bli ($500) with a seperate tenancy in the main house.

9 Daisy Street, Kelso, is listed for $460 a week

---

There is also a one-bedroom granny flat at Regents Park listed for $400 but the tenant will only have access to an open parking spot and the rear yard for clothesline access only.

SuburbTrends recently revealed that Queensland had the highest rental pain index – 83 – in Australia, well above the national rate of 72.

“This underlines that rental affordability issues in QLD are becoming more pronounced, requiring over 32 per cent of income for rent,” the SurbTrends Rent Pain Index report for August said.

23 Orford Street, Tarragindi, is listed for $450 a week

---

Seventy-eight per cent of tenants across the 489 suburbs samples were experiencing “extreme rental pain”, according to the report.

Suburbs that recorded a maximum rental pain index of 100 were located right across the state, including places like Cooloola, Nanango, Caboolture, Waterford West, Wilsonton, Bundaberg East, Moffat Beach, Woree and Rockhampton City.

217 Kingston Road, Woodridge, is listed for $480 a week

---

Coombabah tenants had the highest income-to-rent ratio of 60 per cent, followed by Tewantin and Bribie Island (54%), Cooloola, Agnes Water-Miriam Vale, Pialba-Eli Waters and Currumbin Waters (52%), Burleigh Waters, Surfers Paradise North, Labrador, and Broadbeach Waters 51%).

But there are some cheap options for those willing to dial down their expectations.

A single room in share accommodation at Kenilworth is listed for $150 a week, while a two-bedroom unit in Mitchell is listed for $175 a week.

6 Maleny-Kenilworth Rd, Kenilworth, is listed for $150 and is a single room

---

QLD’S TOP 20 CHEAPEST SUBURBS TO RENT – HOUSES

Longreach $340

Charters Towers City $350

Ayr $350

Ingham $350

Biloela $350

Collinsville $355

Blackwater $365

Mount Morgan $380

Dysart $380

Russell Island $390

Macleay Island $398

Roma $400

Moura $400

Stanthorpe $400

Chinchilla $400

Winston $400

Allenstown $400

Rockhampton City $410

South Gladstone $418

One Mile $420

***

QLD’S TOP 20 CHEAPEST SUBURBS TO RENT – UNITS
Pioneer$250

Winston $260

Roma $265

Ingham $265

The Gap $280

Menzies $280

Mornington $290

West Gladstone $300

Dalby $300

South Gladstone $310

Maryborough $320

Warwick $320

Toowoomba City $325

Currajong $325

Chinchilla $325

Kawana $330

Cambooya $330

Cranbrook $340

Hyde Park $340

Kingaroy $340

(Source: PropTRack Rent Report July Quarter)