Australian rental costs easing for some ‘maxed out’ tenants even as property prices edge up

Many ‘tapped out renters’ are unable to handle further rent hikes, testing landlords’ resolve to push prices higher, says one housing expert. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Some city suburbs are recording a lull in rents even as property prices take off again, as cash-strapped tenants curb landlords’ ability to push rents higher.

While rents are at record highs in most state capital cities, the pace of increases in most city suburbs has slowed, stalled, and in some cases reversed, according to a new report by property portal Domain.