Forget the traditional whingeing of Sydneysiders over the rising cost of accommodation - Darwin has become the most unaffordable city in Australia for renters, after median rent prices jumped 25 per cent for houses and 20per cent for units last year.
The latest figures released by Australian Property Monitors show Darwin has overtaken Sydney to become the most expensive city to rent houses and apartments.
The average rental for a house went up $100 a week from 2007 to $500 last year, $50 more expensive than in Sydney.
But Australian Property Monitors senior economist Liam O'Hara said the increase was not surprising.
"Darwin has had these types of spikes in rent prices in the past and it was only a matter of time before it became more expensive than Sydney," he said. "It's a lot smaller than Sydney, and the demand for rent is less likely to be reliant on seasonal factors."
Across Australia, median rent prices remained steady or slightly increased over the December quarter.
Mr O'Hara said this was a positive sign for renters.
"Particularly the growing population of renters in units will be pleased to hear their landlord's appetite for hiking up the rent seems to be diminishing," he said.
Median house rent trends were flat in Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in the last quarter.
Median unit prices in Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and the Gold Coast were also flat, while median unit prices on the Sunshine Coast fell 1.6 per cent. In Canberra the figure increased for the first time last year in the December quarter, when it jumped 5 per cent.
Median house rent prices went up by over 5 per cent in all major capitals over the year.
After Darwin, Sydney had the largest increases, with the median house rent increasing 17per cent in the year, while unit prices went up 6.5 per cent.
"In Sydney, people want to live in the good economic areas in the inner city, but soon they will have no choice other than to venture out to save because there is such a short supply," Mr O'Hara said.
