REVEALED: Brisbane’s Most Expensive Suburbs To Rent
As Brisbane’s rental market continues to surge, new data reveals the city’s most expensive suburbs to rent a house — and six of them now command over $1,000 a week.
5 min
The Brisbane rental market has surged in recent years, and the city’s most prestigious postcodes are now commanding eye-watering prices for houses.
Data commissioned by Kanebridge News from property data analytics firm Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) reveals that renters are forking out more than $1,000 a week in six of Brisbane’s most expensive suburbs — a threshold that reflects the strength of the city’s prestige housing market and growing interstate demand.
Below, we reveal the most expensive suburbs in Brisbane right now for renting a house, with a breakdown of median house prices, weekly rents, and what makes each neighbourhood so desirable.
*Cotality only includes suburbs where there have been 20 or more houses for rent over a single year. Prices are accurate as of May 2025.
Hawthorne
Median house value: $2.16m
Median weekly house rent: $1,083
The Neighbourhood
Hawthorne is one of Brisbane’s premier riverfront suburbs. On the southern side of the Brisbane River, around six kilometres from the CBD, Hawthorne is characterised by its wide, tree-lined streets, a mix of heritage and restored Queenslanders, and new architect-designed modern homes. Residents enjoy proximity to the Brisbane River, boutique cafes, the historic Hawthorne Cinema, and excellent ferry links. The area’s village-style atmosphere and strong school zoning make it a magnet for high-income families and professionals.
The Homes
The priciest home for lease in Hawthorne is a fully renovated Queenslander on Mullens Street, one of the best streets in the suburb. The $1,400 a week rental has four bedrooms and last sold for $2.6 million late last year.
Bulimba
Median house value: $2.05m
Median weekly house rent: $1,079
The Neighbourhood
Next door to Hawthorne, Bulimba is also one of Brisbane’s most sought-after lifestyle suburbs. Its Oxford Street precinct is a major drawcard, filled with cafés, restaurants, boutiques, and a vibrant community atmosphere. The houses are also very similar to those of its neighbouring suburb, classic Queenslanders and contemporary builds.
The Homes
The most expensive rental on the market in Bulimba is a five-bedroom renovated Queenslander on over 1,000 sqm. It has an outdoor lounge area, a swimming pool, and a gym. It is seeking a tenant at $2,250 a week.
Brookfield
Median house value: $2.02m
Median weekly house rent: $1,064
The Neighbourhood
Brookfield in Brisbane’s western suburbs is the answer for those seeking space, privacy, and a touch of country living within city limits. Located around 13km from the CBD, Brookfield is renowned for its large homes on expansive blocks, leafy surrounds, and strong community feel.
The area’s semi-rural charm is paired with proximity to excellent private schools and natural attractions like Mount Coot-tha. High demand for acreage homes in a prestige setting has pushed median weekly rents to $1,064 — making it one of the most exclusive outer suburbs for renting a house in Brisbane.
The Homes
There are just two homes for rent in Brookfield currently, one a five-bedroom home asking $1,300 a week.
Chelmer
Median house value: $1.91m
Median weekly house rent: $1,053
The Neighbourhood
Situated on a bend of the Brisbane River, Chelmer offers peaceful, upmarket living less than 10km from the CBD. The suburb is known for its character homes, riverside views, and wide, leafy streets lined with jacarandas.
Chelmer has long attracted well-heeled families drawn to its excellent school catchments, village charm, and easy train access to the city.
The Homes
A four-bedroom Queenslander with a pool on Jarrot Street is the priciest in Chelmer. It is seeking a $1,425 a week tenant.
Ascot
Median house value: $2.47m
Median weekly house rent: $1,025
The Neighbourhood
An icon of Brisbane’s prestige property market, Ascot is synonymous with elegance, history, and high-end living. The suburb is famous for its heritage-listed homes, proximity to the racecourses at Eagle Farm and Doomben, and the elite private schools that attract families from across the city.
Ascot is just 7km from the CBD and offers a refined, well-connected lifestyle with some of Brisbane’s most prestigious real estate. With a median weekly rent of $1,025 and the highest median house value on the list, it remains a flagship suburb in Brisbane’s luxury rental market.
The Homes
A four-bedroom Queenslander with a pool on Jarrot Street is the priciest in Chelmer. It is seeking a $1,425 a week tenant.
Pullenvale
Median house value: $2.02m
Median weekly house rent: $1,020
The Neighbourhood
Set against a backdrop of rolling hills and native bushland, Pullenvale offers an acreage lifestyle just 20km from the city. The suburb is known for its spacious estates, peaceful atmosphere, and strong appeal to families who want both luxury and seclusion.
Despite its tranquil setting, Pullenvale is still within reach of top private schools and shopping hubs like Indooroopilly. With demand for large homes on generous land rising, the suburb has hit a median rent of $1,020 — placing it firmly within Brisbane’s most exclusive rental enclaves.
The Homes
One of the most expensive homes in Pullenvale on the rental market is Lynwood, a $1,200 a week rental. Set on 10,000 sqm, the 1940s-built home features a fireplace, 12ft ceilings, timber floor and VJ walls. It has four bedrooms and is wrapped in verandahs that overlook the surrounding manicured gardens.
Brisbane’s Cheapest Suburb: Russell Island
Median purchase: $454,000
Median rent: $461
Russell Island is the most affordable suburb within Greater Brisbane. Deemed as East Brisbane, Russell Island is in the City of Redland, 20 minutes by passenger ferry from Redland Bay.
The large 1,700-hectare island has a permanent population of 4,000 people and has everything from a medical centre and supermarket to an RSL, library, and museum.
Brisbane’s Best Suburb: Kangaroo Point
Kangaroo Point is the most consistently expensive suburb in Brisbane due to its tight supply of houses. According to the last census, just 10 percent of dwellings in the suburb are houses, given its proximity to the CBD.
The riverfront suburb is the closest to the Story Bridge on the south side, and has set records for the most expensive houses in the capital, which hug the cliff face. The suburb is home to Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park, The Cliffs Boardwalk, and popular Italian restaurant Joey’s that serves morning coffees all the way through to fine dining at night, with a terrace that takes in the best views in Brisbane.
The Holman Street Ferry Terminal connects Kangaroo Point to the city in minutes.
What is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to rent a house?
As of May 2025, Hawthorne is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
What is Brisbane’s cheapest suburb to rent a unit?
As of May 2025, Russell Island is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
What is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to buy a house?
As of May 2025, New Farm is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to buy a house.
What is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit?
As of May 2025, Point Lookout is Brisbane’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit.
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2 min
The typically busy spring season for the housing market was a dud, and the summer isn’t looking much brighter.
Housing services companies like Zillow Group and Rocket RKT +3.78% were loud and clear last week on earnings calls: Rocket CEO Varun Krishna called the quarter through June “one of the toughest spring housing markets in years.”
Jeremy Hofmann, Zillow’s chief financial officer, said on a conference call that the company predicted earlier this year that the market for mortgages would be flat. “We actually now think it’s going to be down low-to-mid-single digits,” he said.
The rest of 2026 will remain challenging for mortgage origination volume, says KBW analyst Bose George. The question now is what happens in 2027. “If mortgage rates remain [around] 6.75%, I think that’s going to be challenging even for next year,” he says.
But what’s bad news for mortgage companies could be a positive for bargain hunters. Buyers can expect prices to grow more slowly—or mildly decline—with less competition as long as mortgage rates remain unpredictable.
Mortgage rates at the beginning of the year were solidly below year-ago levels, notes Zillow senior economist Kara Ng. But they surpassed last year’s levels recently, she adds, referencing Freddie Mac’s weekly survey of 30-year fixed mortgage rates. Last week’s reading, at 6.69%, was higher than year-ago levels for the first time in 2026.
“From the affordability point of view, it’s going to get more challenging in the second half of the year,” she says. “And when affordability gets more challenging, that impacts sales and home price appreciation.”
Mortgage application data tracked by the Mortgage Bankers Association has cooled since the beginning of the year. The trade group expects that the number of mortgage originations in the remaining two quarters will lag behind last year’s levels, after exceeding 2025 levels in the first half.
Rocket’s early-stage data—which the company told Barron’s it derives from its brokerage Redfin, demand for its mortgage products, and signs in its servicing portfolio that a homeowner is preparing to refinance or move—“leads us to expect the third quarter mortgage market to be smaller than the second,” Chief Financial Officer Brian Brown, said on the company’s call. He added that such an occurrence is “something the industry has not seen since 2022.”
Prices will be about flat nationally, Ng says. Zillow’s most recent forecast, which shows how values are expected to change in the year ending June 2027, show them dropping in roughly half of the 100 largest U.S. metros for which data is available.
Buyers aren’t rushing in at a time when mortgage costs are rising and unpredictable. But those with the right combination of patience and cash could stand to benefit. “If you are financially qualified to buy a starter home, you are facing less competition and you’re more likely to get a price cut,” Ng says.
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