Rental affordability sinks further in Douglas Shire as prices keep rising

There’s further proof of decreasing rental affordability in the Douglas region – with a new report showing rentals have increased by 40 per cent in three years.

Out of all of the regional areas in Queensland, Douglas recorded the eighth highest rise over that period.

A typical example of the increase is say a two-bedroom unit in Port Douglas, rented in 2021 for $350 which, if listed now, would be closer to $500 per week.

The Suburbtrends ‘Rental Rewind’ analysis focuses on the continuing, and concerning, decline of availability of rental housing priced at $400 per week or less which, it summarises, “holds profound implications for housing affordability and broader socio-economic dynamics".

Of the (at time of writing) rental availabilities in Douglas – numbering 24 – just five were priced at $400 per week or less, the lowest being three two-bedroom units in the Mossman area for $350. 

“This contraction in affordable rental options is especially significant given that a household earning a modest income of $70,000 per year, which is typical for many Australians, would find rents above this threshold increasingly unaffordable,” the Suburb trends report said.

“The standard affordability measure suggests that no more than 30 per cent of household income should be spent on housing costs, making higher rents unsustainable for low income earners.

“The decline in affordable rentals is driving demographic shifts, as lower-income earners are pushed to either peripheral areas of cities or to regions with cheaper rents, affecting their access to employment opportunities and essential services.