Australia's most in-demand rental hot spots and where to look instead

If you’re struggling to find a place to rent right now, you’re not alone. A Current Affair spoke to experts to find out the family suburbs you should be looking at, and the rental hot spots to avoid. Watch the video above.

January to March is peak rental season, with around 30 percent more Australians looking for a new home. That means the market is particularly crowded.

So which family suburbs are the most competitive, and where can you still bag an affordable rental without having to compete with truckloads of other prospective tenants?

General manager of Rent at REA Group, Kul Singh, says you should be open minded when it comes to the location of your rental.

“This time of year can be extremely competitive and sometimes we see in excess of 50 people queuing up for a property and that can be really challenging for families,” he told A Current Affair.

“Some tips we’ve got to securing a rental would be to look to neighbouring suburbs, close to where you want to stay, and also alternate dwellings, so instead of houses, look for apartments or townhouses.”

Brisbane

According to REA Group data, Brisbane’s most in-demand suburbs with an average of more than 2200 property views per listing include Coorparoo (2,340 views per listing); Holland Park (2,335 views per listing); and Wavell Heights (2,225 views per listing).

Tenants would have more luck locking down a rental in Mansfield (1,900 views per listing) and Chermside (1,987 views per listing).

Sydney

In Western Sydney, Prestons and Emu Plains have the highest number of property views per listing, at 2,458 and 2,360 respectively.

Matthew Bennett, from Bennett Cooney Mackman Real Estate, says it’s much easier to secure a rental in nearby Sydney suburbs.

“Richmond and Plumpton are two suburbs which are established suburbs in Western Sydney. They have bigger homes and have bigger backyards and are the same price as these smaller blocks in the newer suburbs,” he told A Current Affair.

Melbourne

In Melbourne, the family suburbs of Lilydale (3,144 views per listing); Preston (3,628 views per listing); and Epping (3,385 views per listing) are among the most difficult to get a rental home.

Lilydale’s neighbour Mooroolbark (2,459 views per listing), and Fawkner (2,398 views per listing) and Lalor (2,454 views per listing) in Melbourne’s north are better options.

Adelaide

In Adelaide, try looking for rentals in suburbs other than Andrews Farm (3,718 views per listing) and Golden Grove (3,368 views per listing).

Perth

Same too goes for Doubleview (1,500 views per listing) and Scarborough (1,493 views per listing) in Perth.

Watch the video above for the full run down and information.