From mortgage rates to homeownership rates and more, Windermere’s Principal Economist Jeff Tucker provides insights tailor-made for 2026.
Queensland’s share houses are no longer just for students: three in five residents say they’ve been forced there by the cost-of-living crisis, with many aged 55-64.
Flatmates’ 2025 National Share Accommodation Survey, covering 4,500 respondents, reveals that Queenslanders’ reliance on share housing has grown dramatically – and now includes not just students and young professionals, but also retirees and seniors struggling to cope.
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The survey also found that 70 per cent of respondents nationwide believe the Australian dream of owning a home is now unattainable for young people.
Flatmates has seen a 60 per cent surge in the number of people seeking share house accommodation since January 2021.
More than half (55.1 per cent) of those who listed a spare room on Flatmates said they did so because of financial burdens associated with home ownership, including rates and utility prices.
In Queensland, 48.9 per cent of respondents said they were turning to the shared housing market because they “could not afford” the costs of owning their own property.
These statistics highlight the real pressures Queenslanders face just to keep a roof over their heads, with rising concern over the situation for seniors and retirees.
Flat sharing saw the largest demographic increase among Queenslanders aged 55-64, which jumped from 12.3 per cent in 2024 to 16.4 per cent in 2025.
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The data displays that the “common perception” of shared housing being for students has flipped, with 79 per cent of respondents saying they were “not currently studying at all” – up from 71 per cent the previous year.
A massive 69.2 per cent of Queensland flatmates said share housing was a “practical solution” that helped them save money.
Beyond finances, shared housing also offers social and emotional benefits, with housemates forming close personal connections.
Roughly half of Australian respondents admit their shared accommodation feels like home, while relationships with housemates motivated 11 per cent to enter shared living.
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On average, respondents rated their relationships with flatmates 4.2 out of 5.
Despite the negative connotations of shared accommodation and the financial pressures that influence their situation, Australians living in share houses report satisfaction and increased financial security.
However, the ongoing cost-of-living and housing crises mean more Australians are expected to “turn to shared accommodation,” as the Australian dream continues to slip from the grasp of both younger and older generations.
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New buyers of lots in community title schemes that possess a massive sinking fund balance need to be aware that it is not a magical pot of money to cover any major problem.
The funds are collected to cover foreseeable maintenance issues over a rolling 10-year period.
The maintenance could be anything from replacing windows, roofs and upgrading lifts to painting the exterior, resealing the pool or upgrading security systems.
It’s why a sinking fund needs to keep pace with inflation and increases in building costs to future-proof the property financially.
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It is not, as some may think, a rainy-day savings account for unbudgeted expenses and nor should a massive sinking fund be a reason to reduce levies.
In fact, not increasing levies in line with at least inflation, can create a financial time bomb.
Anyone buying a new lot needs to be wary, and not delighted, if the sinking fund levy is a relatively ‘cheap’ expense in a cost-of-living crisis era.
Do your homework to determine if the sinking fund forecast is in sync with inflation and factors in rising costs, and if foreseeable maintenance repairs have been included into the budget.
A body corporate must, by law, maintain the common property in a good and structurally sound condition.
That may mean having funds put aside to paint the exterior every 10 years or replace windows in coastal locations every 25 years.
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Even with a two, three or four million dollar sinking fund staring you in the face as you sign for your new acquisition, you could still be required to dip deeply into your bank account for a special levy for an unbudgeted maintenance issue.
A recent example of this was the serious fire risk surrounding combustible cladding on multistorey, community-title scheme buildings.
The cladding safety crisis sent shockwaves through bodies corporate around the state. It was not a foreseeable maintenance issue and caught many bodies corporate by surprise.
No bodies corporate, if any, had factored in their sinking fund to replace fire-risk cladding.
Depending on the urgency of the replacement, a body corporate may need to raise money through a special levy, which can be raised over a period of time, or a bank loan.
A special levy can be raised through an ordinary resolution at a general meeting of lot owners.
It requires a majority of the votes cast for the motion to carry.
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A body corporate may propose to borrow money. However, under some regulation modules, the motion would only carry if every vote cast was in favour.
Be mindful, a body corporate cannot legally move money from an administration fund to a sinking fund or vice versa.
Once the funds are deposited into either fund, they can only be used for their budgeted purpose.
The new seller disclosure requirements mean the sinking fund balance will be disclosed to the new owner on the body corporate certificate.
This information should be read in conjunction with the forecast expenditure to ensure the funds, and future deposits, will cover what is needed.
Ideally, a new owner should be looking for a healthy sinking fund and a healthy administration fund, depending on the size of the property and whether the community title scheme is registered as a building format plan or a standard format plan.
A building format plan is typically multi-level unit blocks but can be townhouse complexes.
Under this format plan, the body corporate has a responsibility for more maintenance requirements such as the roof, lifts and structural elements of the buildings.
In a standard format plan, more often than not, in townhouse complexes and residential estates, the owner takes on more responsibility, such as the roof and foundation structures.
* Jane Wilson is the Queensland Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management.
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The association’s IRS Form 990, which was recently released to industry media, shows where its priorities lie when it comes to spending, but also paints a picture of the state of things before “fiscal discipline” by its new CEO fully kicked in, NAR said.
The traditional image of the student share house is dead.
A new survey had revealed the brutal reality of Australia’s cost-of-living crisis, which had forced a dramatic demographic shift in shared accommodation, with older Australians then a significant and growing cohort.
The Flatmates.com.au National Share Accommodation Survey, which polled over 4500 Australians, exposed how financial pressures were reshaping our living arrangements.
A staggering 55 per cent of respondents cited the cost of living as their primary driver for moving into shared housing.
For those offering a spare room, 58 per cent did so due to rate rises and financial stress, while 45 per cent seeking a room simply couldn’t afford a property alone.
But the most striking finding was the surge in older Australians embracing shared living.
A significant 15 per cent of respondents were aged 55-64, a sharp increase from just 9 per cent the previous year.
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Despite the financial impetus, shared living was proving to be a practical solution for many.
A reassuring 71 per cent of those seeking a room reported saving money as a direct result of their share house arrangement.
Beyond the financial benefits, the survey also highlighted the human element, with 11 per cent citing companionship and friendship as a key motivator.
Almost half of all respondents (one in two) even reported that their share house truly felt like home, and the average relationship rating with flatmates stood at a healthy 4.2 out of 5.
Leith Donaldson, Head of Product at Flatmates.com.au, emphasised the gravity of the findings. “It was evident that Australians were feeling the pinch, with almost six in 10 respondents identifying cost of living as their key reason for moving into shared living,” she said.
“Shared accommodation was increasingly viewed as a practical solution to the cost-of-living crisis, and as a result, the demographics were shifting.
“Older Australians were a growing cohort in share houses, with 15 per cent of respondents over 55. This defied the common perception that share house living was mostly for students or younger people.”
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“In fact, the majority of the Flatmates.com.au audience were not currently studying at all.”
The survey also revealed a sobering outlook on property ownership, with seven in 10 respondents believing the Australian dream of owning a property was then unattainable for young people.
It found the most in-demand suburbs for flat sharing were Surry Hills in Sydney with 3127 active listings.
Bondi Beach followed in close second with 2653 listings, while Coogee, also in NSW, rounded out the top three with 2130 listings.
Other flat sharing hot spots included Melbourne, Brisbane City, Bondi Junction, Randwick, Newtown, Burleigh Heads and Perth.
“Looking forward, seven in 10 respondents said the cost of living had impacted their property plans for the next few years, so we could expect to see more Australians from all demographics turning to shared accommodation,” Mr Donaldson said.
“Though the Australian dream of owning property might feel distant for some, it was amazing to know that nearly half of respondents believed their share house truly felt like home in the meantime.”
For 68-year-old Perth man Steven Ralph, moving into a shared space had been a financial life saver.
“It wasn’t about it being fussy either. You really just had to take the opportunities where they lay,” he told Nine News.
“I lived with a very friendly, amiable man and another lady who both had become lifelong friends.”
It was estimated over one million Aussies would be living in group households by 2046.
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A 78-storey proposal could transform Parramatta as its tallest residential tower delivering 1,000 new units.
If given the green light, it will be Western Sydney’s tallest building and the third tallest building citywide.
Private equity real estate firm Conquest has submitted the plans for the 250m tall tower at 87 Church St and 6 Great Western Highway.
If approved, the tower will be 11 storeys taller than the current highest unit block in the suburb.
Conquest founder and CEO Michael Akkawi said the tower is designed as a fully integrated mixed-use scheme, featuring a four-storey podium that will host a range of retail and commercial uses.
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“This ensures the ground level is active, providing both essential services and employment opportunities for the precinct,” Mr Akkawi said.
“Above this, the residential tower will include approximately 1,000 apartments alongside an extensive range of high-quality internal amenities.”
Residents will have access to a gym, pools, cinema room, shared working spaces and yoga rooms, effectively creating a lifestyle hub that minimises demand on external public services.
According to Mr Akkawi, increasing the height to 250-metres is a direct response to critical factors of housing demand and design.
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Mr Akkawi said increasing the height also allows for a ‘slimmer’ building profile, which significantly minimises shadow impacts on adjoining properties, ensuring a better urban outcome.
“This height makes the project both viable and responsible,” he said.
According to Mr Akkawi, they are ready to deliver and once the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) is approved, they anticipate the core development time frame will be 36 months.
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“The build-to-rent model is inherently faster and more certain than traditional developments, allowing us to bring these critical 1,000 homes to the market without delay,” he said.
There is a focus on providing a diverse range of dwellings to accommodate various households with a comprehensive mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
“The importance of delivering 1,000 units is simple: it is a massive, immediate injection of rental supply that tackles the housing epidemic head-on,” he said.
“Every unit is a home that moves us closer to alleviating Sydney’s rental crisis.”
The development is designed to achieve the highest level of design excellence, setting a new aesthetic standard for Western Sydney it delivers desperately needed housing with a high level of onsite services and resident amenity.
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“By providing facilities like gyms, pools, and shared workspaces within the building, we are minimising the demand on public recreation services while ensuring residents enjoy a premium lifestyle,” he said.
Mr Akkawi said this sets a clear precedent for the future of urban development in Sydney.
“It demonstrates that scale and density in highly connected hubs are essential to solving the housing epidemic,” he said.
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A $1.1 billion development on Bundaberg’s coast is seeing the fast-tracked development of 1,200 new homes for residents: with homes expected to be built in 2028 now possible two years sooner.
DevCore Property Group has received assistance for trunk infrastructure on their Coral Cove Ocean Estate development, under the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund (RAF).
The masterplanned community will eventually feature 1,200 homes, two retirement villages and a mixed use precinct, allowing more than 3,500 people to live in the new hotspot.
The $22 million from the RAF will go to building connecting roads and roundabouts in and around the project, along with trunk infrastructure such as sewers and water mains for the area’s expanding population.
DevCore Property Group managing director Paul Thompson said the fund would allow the construction of homes years faster than anticipated, with homes planned for a 2028 build now expected for late 2026.
“When the RAF was announced, it was very good timing for us to put an application, mainly because we had our approvals in place,” he said. “We were well advanced enough to know what infrastructure was needed to unlock a new batch of housing … we’d be able to bring forward a lot more housing over a 2-3 year period than what we [usually] do.”
DevCore’s partnerships with home builders in the Bundaberg region are offering house and land packages between $700,000 and $1m for residents. The latest release within the current Village Precinct is for 72 lots, with land prices beginning at $300,000.
“It is great to see the Queensland Government backing the property development sector and making a tangible effort to unlock new housing in our regions,” Mr Thompson said.
He added much of the infrastructure the team would build with the RAF would have normally taken up to seven years, but was now expected to be done within two years.
“We believe over a five-year period, we can be delivering in excess of 700 homes”, he said.
“There’s very strong demand for new diverse housing in the region, and normally without this funding we’d probably have to stop for a while to keep up with the trunk infrastructure … now we’ll be able to continually release land for sale.”
Mr Thompson said the fund would not only mean a faster build time for new homes, but would allow the team to build more pieces of social infrastructure within the next three years.
Planned infrastructure across the project includes a 2.5 hectare park and a village centre, along with access to an established championship golf course and an upgrade of its boutique ‘Ocean Club’.
Homes are available to buy now, with a typical nine-month construction time expected for each house. Residents buying into the area today will be able to begin construction in 2026, and will be able to move in around midway through 2027.
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More first home buyers will be able to get a foothold on the property ladder from today, with the launch of the government’s long-awaited Help to Buy scheme.
The initiative, which was first proposed back in 2022, will see low-income households co-buy with the federal government, with will contribute up to 30 per cent of the cost of an existing home, and up to 40 per cent of new builds.
While the government recently lifted the lid on its alternative offering, the Home Guarantee scheme, Help to Buy remains more targeted, with a limit of 10,000 places per year and strict income caps in place for the scheme of $100,000 for single buyers and up to $160,000 for joint applicants and single parents, which are reassessed every five years.
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People using the Help to Buy scheme will have to stump up a deposit of at least 2 per cent of the entire property’s value, but will not have to pay lenders’ mortgage insurance.
The scheme starts for most states and territories from today, December 5, however, Western Australia and Tasmania are yet to pass the legislation to participate in the scheme.
Help to Buy will help low-income earners buy a property they otherwise couldn’t afford
While the scheme won’t increase how much someone can borrow, it will enable people to buy a property that would otherwise be out of reach financially.
Canstar.com.au research shows someone earning $90,000, taking out a 30-year loan with CBA at a rate of 5.64 per cent, could potentially borrow $438,000 – regardless of which scheme they consider.
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Under the Help to Buy scheme, with a deposit of 2 per cent – or $12,882 – and a government contribution of 30 per cent, they could potentially buy a property valued at $644,117 (excluding stamp duty, fees and other expenses).
If they instead use the Home Guarantee scheme, they would need to stump up a 5 per cent deposit of $23,053 and could buy a property worth $461,053.
Canstar.com.au’s data insights director, Sally Tindall, calls it a “lifeline” for those who’ve been “watching the first rung on the property ladder rise further out of reach.”
“For some, this scheme will be the difference between renting indefinitely and finally getting the keys to their own home,” she said.
“This scheme is deliberately aimed at lower-income households, people who’ve been locked out of the market as prices have taken off. The income caps make sure the help goes to those who genuinely need the support.
“Having the government chip in up to 30 per cent on existing homes, and up to 40 per cent on a new build, means a significantly smaller mortgage, smaller repayments and no lenders’ mortgage insurance.
“Unlike the Home Guarantee Scheme, Help to Buy is capped and highly targeted. As a result, it’s not expected to put any extra heat into an already inflated property market.”
Ms Tindall, however, warns that while shared equity gave people a foot in the door, it also came with some pretty significant strings attached.
“You’re sharing any profits with the government and if your income rises above the cap for two consecutive years, you might be called on to buy out part of the government’s share. This type of arrangement could end up weighing heavily on participants’ minds. It’s not going to suit everyone who’s eligible,” she said.
“With only two lenders on board at the start, borrowers won’t have the luxury of shopping around. That’s not ideal in a market where competition can save you thousands over the life of the loan.
“Help to Buy will get more people into the market, but again, it does nothing to fix the structural affordability issues facing the country. It’s a helping hand for tens of thousands of households – not a silver bullet.”
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As Aussies continue to struggle with increasing mortgage stress, homeowners are keeping a keen eye on the RBA’s upcoming cash rate decision on December 9.
NSW remains the country’s most unaffordable state, with mortgage repayments taking up over one third of the average income for a median priced home, according to PropTrack.
As inflation rose to 3.8 per cent in October, Compare the Market spokesperson Sarah Orr has warned that homeowners should not wait for further rate cuts before reviewing their home loans.
“Despite mortgage repayments being a major stress, we know there are still people out there that haven’t shopped around for a better deal this year,” Ms Orr said.
“And now with inflation on the rise, there’s a slim chance the RBA will deliver relief in the form of a rate cut any time soon.”
Ms Orr said there could be as much as a 0.50 per cent difference between some advertised rates.
“Aussies may be able to effectively create their own rate cut by shopping around,” she said.
“So don’t wait for the RBA to act – see if you can wrangle a better deal for yourself.”
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According to Ms Orr, even with a 20 per cent deposit on a median Sydney home, monthly repayments could be more than $5,600, which she said was “a huge amount of money for most people.”
Compare the Market’s Household Budget Barometer found that around nine per cent of people surveyed in NSW said they were in mortgage arrears.
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And, Mr Orr added, it is not just mortgages causing stress for NSW households.
“Average home and contents quotes in Sydney climbed 22.2 per cent, or $611 year-on-year, now averaging $3,364,” she said.
“That’s higher than any capital in the country.”
The rising costs of other bills are also eating away at household savings.
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According to Compare the Market, NSW motorists spend an average $2,904 a year on fuel, while NSW residents spend just over $10,000 a year on groceries.
Electricity bills, Compare the Market report, can cost between $1,965 and $2,741 a year for households on the default market offer in some regions.
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A new trend emerging in modern Australian home design is the rise of ensuite-per-bedroom layouts, a feature now appearing in around one in four new custom builds.
Once considered a prestige luxury, private bathrooms for every bedroom are rapidly becoming a standard request among high-end family-home buyers.
Industry design data analysed by Place Advisory reveals the number of new homes featuring three or more bedrooms with their own private ensuite has more than doubled in the past five years, reflecting major changes in how families live.
The trend is being driven by older teens staying at home longer, blended and multi-generational households, more flexible work-from-home arrangements, grandparents and interstate relatives staying for extended periods, and higher expectations for comfort.
Place Bulimba agent Chris Rice said the bathroom-per-bedroom layout had become one of the most consistent requests among families upgrading into Brisbane’s inner suburbs.
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“Families don’t want shared bathrooms — it’s that simple,” Mr Rice said.
“Ensuite bedrooms used to signal a prestige home.
“Now they’re a practical solution to how families live, especially with teens, adult children, guests and blended households.”
The property also boasts a built-in study desk in every bedroom.
“Buyers are prioritising privacy, harmony and long-term usability.
“Homes that deliver a bathroom for every bedroom are attracting more competition because they remove one of the biggest friction points in family living.”
A newly completed property in Brisbane’s inner east, currently on the market, shows the trend: a five-bedroom, five-bathroom U- shaped build, designed so every family member and every guest have their own private retreat.
The guest bedroom downstairs uses the main bathroom on that level, positioned directly beside it.
Launched late last week, the home has had more than 30 groups inspecting in the first week.
Located at 16 Jamieson St, Bulimba, the residence separates the master wing, children’s bedrooms and a private guest suite around a central courtyard.
The layout supports young families, teenagers, visiting grandparents and even returning adult children.
Developer Donna Taylor said the decision to include a private bathroom for every room was deliberate from the outset.
“It was non-negotiable,” Ms Taylor said.
“It makes day-to-day life smoother and future- proofs the home as the kids grow.
“We wanted a luxury feel but a practical layout, low maintenance, and a home that works for every stage of family life.”
The property goes to auction on December 13.
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