Best Sydney Suburbs for Renters

Let’s not dwell on the staggering house prices we’ve seen in the last few years and instead dive straight into today’s topic – the best Sydney suburbs for renters. Rather than scare you with the 14-straight months of house price increases across Australia, we want to focus on where Sydneysiders are renting. Where are the bargains, and where are the ideal locations for your next 6-12 month lease period. 

While we’re by no means experts in real estate, we’ve helped Sydneysiders move house from the CBD to the Blue Mountains, so it’s safe to say we know a bit about Sydney and its suburbs. To help you narrow down your potential rental list, we’re gonna run down some of the best Sydney suburbs for renters.

The Cost Of Renting in Sydney

It’s not always about finding the cheapest suburb to live in. According to PRD chief economist Diaswati Mardiasmo and the recent Affordable and Liveable Property Guide, finding the most affordable and liveable suburbs means looking for areas well serviced by public transport and amenities like schools, shopping centres and green spaces.

However, as Sydney’s vacancy rate continues to fall below pre-pandemic levels – the lowest since late-2018 – so too do rental options, as landlords begin raising weekly rent prices. And with international borders set to reopen, competition for rentals is likely to increase further, pushing rent prices even further.

According to the Domain Rental Report, Sydney’s rental market is only the third most expensive in the country, sitting below the median house price for Darwin ($620) and Canberra ($645) at $580 per week, but well above Melbourne at $430. 

Fortunately for apartment dwellers, things are a little cheaper. Sydney’s median unit rent per week is $485, matching the roughly $100 price gap between houses and units across most capital cities.

Most Liveable Suburbs in Sydney

While it’s certainly subjective, it helps that the 2021 Australian Liveability Census has done all the heavy lifting for us. Ranking local councils rather than narrow in on the thousands of Sydney suburbs, the Census uses online and face-to-face surveys as well as observational studies, to uncover the value and performance of a place from the people who use it. Peer reviewed by Macquarie University, the in-depth research surveyed more than 30,000 Australians (10,766 in New South Wales) to reveal just how happy residents are with the suburb they live in. 

Leading the pack for the most liveable suburbs in Sydney is Lane Cove Council, for its sustainable urban design. Coming in second was the City of Sydney, followed by The Sutherland Shire or, as residents lovingly refer to it, “God’s Own Country”.

According to Place Score chief executive Kylie Legge, density linked to high amenity makes for “great neighbourhoods”. Value was also placed on nature and access to neighbourhood amenities, with ease of driving and parking becoming less important, likely indicating an increase in the number of people working from home. 

The Most Affordable Sydney Suburbs

Units

For those on a tight budget, you’ll want to take advantage of the low rental prices across Western Sydney, with the cheapest median weekly rent price found in Cabramatta at $300. For something closer to the CBD, Enmore ($395) and Annandale ($425) are your best bet, while North Shore dwellers should look towards Crows Nest, where the median rent per week is $465 – even with the new Metro station currently under construction. As for the Upper North Shore, Hornsby ($410) is where it’s at.

Houses

Cabramatta and Mount Druitt are tied for the most affordable suburb in Sydney for house renting at $400 per week. However, prices shoot up, with Cabramatta West ($450) and Parramatta ($490) the only two other suburbs under the $500 weekly median rent price.

To help visualise whether if the rent for your place is worth it by considering local amenities, check out our map below. Don’t forget that you can look into houses or units specifically using the button on the top left.

Rental sorted? Now it’s time to move.

Whether you’re moving into a new rental or a brand new home, we pride ourselves on delivering a fully-serviced and personalised move. As one of the most popular professional home removalists services across Sydney, we treat your furniture and homewares as if they were our own for a smooth move guaranteed! 
Get in touch with the Smoothmoves team today and request a cost and commitment-free quote today.