Getting Started
New to self-managing? Costs, strategy, insurance, and the first steps of running your own rental.
Insurers paid out $4.8 billion on 294,000 weather claims in 2025. Landlord renewals at 1 July are pricing it in
The Insurance Council put 2025 extreme weather losses at $4.8 billion across 294,000 claims, with the average claim up 39% to $16,471. ARPC's 11 May tally put the 2025-26 cyclone pool season at $267 million across nine declared events. Home premiums are up 51% in five years to a national average of $2,938. Here is what 1 July 2026 landlord insurance renewals are likely to cost, how the cyclone pool changes the picture, and how the premium hits an investor's cash flow, yield and tax position.
RBA's May 5 minutes keep August live as Westpac alone tips a 4.85% peak
The RBA released the minutes of its 5 May 2026 Monetary Policy Board meeting on Tuesday 19 May. The board voted 8-1 to lift the cash rate to 4.35% and flagged a real risk that longer-term inflation expectations could become 'de-anchored'. Markets now price an 80% chance of a 4.60% cash rate by August. CBA, NAB and ANZ tip a hold. Westpac stands alone with a 4.85% terminal call. Here is what each scenario costs an Australian property investor.
Macquarie's $181 billion mortgage book grew 28% as Q1 investor loans cooled
Macquarie Group's FY26 results show a $181.3 billion home loan book, up 28% on the year and now 7.1% of Australia's mortgage market. Four days later the ABS confirmed Q1 investor loan commitments fell 5.3% nationally, the first quarterly decline this cycle. The refinance war is on. Here is the playbook for landlords this week.
Wages rose 3.3% as rents rose 5.7%. Renters now spend a record 33.1% of income on rent
The ABS Wage Price Index for the March quarter 2026 printed 3.3% annually. Cotality's Q1 rental review put national rent growth at 5.7%. Renters now hand over a record 33.1% of gross household income to keep a roof over their heads. Here is what the affordability ceiling means for Australian landlord cash flow planning over the next 12 months.
Apartment approvals fell 26% in March, days before the budget pinned negative gearing on new builds
ABS data shows private sector apartment approvals fell 26% in March 2026 to 6,632 dwellings. The federal budget then restricted negative gearing to new builds from 1 July 2027. Australia is now 262,000 homes short of the 1.2 million Accord target. Here is what the supply trap means for landlord cash flow and the maths on a new-build pivot.
Roy Morgan models 1.64 million Australians 'at risk' as Big 4 variable rates lift Friday
The May 5 RBA hike to 4.35% becomes a real bill on Friday May 15 when CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ pass it through in full. PropTrack just called the first national price fall of 2026, and Roy Morgan models 219,000 more borrowers into mortgage stress. Here is the five-day checklist for landlords.
RBA hikes 25bp to 4.35% in 8-1 vote. The May SoMP pencils in 4.70% by year-end
The RBA lifted the cash rate to 4.35% on May 5 in an 8-1 board vote. The accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy now assumes 4.70% by December, hotter than the CBA, NAB and ANZ hold call. Here is what the Big 4 pass-through does to investor cash flow from May 15.
RBA hikes to 4.35% in 8-1 vote. Investor variable rates push toward 7% on May 22
The RBA lifted the cash rate to 4.35% on May 5 in an 8-1 split. The Statement on Monetary Policy now assumes 4.7% by year-end. Big 4 pass-through hits investor mortgages on May 22. Here are the cash flow numbers for landlords.
RBA hikes to 4.35%: what today's third 2026 rate rise means for landlords
The RBA lifted the cash rate to 4.35% on May 5, 2026 in an 8-1 vote, the third hike of the year. All four major banks passed it through in full from May 15. Here's the cash flow, tax, and refinance maths for a typical Australian investor mortgage.
Sydney and Melbourne values fell 0.6% in April. Perth gained 2.1% as auction clearance hit a five-year low
Cotality's April 2026 Home Value Index lands two days before the RBA decision. Sydney and Melbourne are in active decline, Perth is up 26.1% over the year, and the investor equity gap on a $1m property is now close to $220k. Here are the numbers.
30 of 33 economists tip a May 5 RBA hike. Here's what each scenario costs a $600k investor
The RBA decides May 5. Markets price an 86% chance of a hike to 4.35%. We run the monthly cash flow numbers for an Australian property investor under each scenario, including the Westpac call for 4.85%.
Interest-Only to P&I: The Loan Rollover Shock Hitting Australian Landlords in 2026
Investor interest-only loans written in 2020 and 2021 are now rolling to principal and interest at 6%+ rates. Worked examples on $400k, $600k and $800k loans, plus your options under the new APRA DTI cap.