Tax & Deductions
Claim everything you are entitled to. Guides to deductions, depreciation, capital gains, and record keeping for Australian rental properties.
Australia's build-to-rent pipeline hit $40 billion. Knight Frank tips just 4,000 completions this year
Australia's build-to-rent pipeline has expanded to 51,000 apartments worth $40.1 billion, up from $30.1 billion a year ago. Knight Frank's 2026 outlook tips deliveries to taper to about 4,000 units this year before stepping up again from 2028. The 1 July 2026 MIT withholding cliff is the lever that keeps the foreign capital coming or sends it home. Here is what it means for residential landlord rents, yields and the next eight years of supply.
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.
Q1 GDP came in at 0.3%, per capita slipped -0.1%. The June 16 RBA call just got more dovish
The ABS June 3 National Accounts release put March quarter GDP growth at 0.3%, with per capita going backwards again at -0.1% and the household saving ratio dropping to 6.2%. Business investment in data centres was the single largest contributor to growth. April building approvals fell 3.4% on the same day Treasury was modelling a new-build supply lift. Here is what a softer Q1 print and a 6.2% saving ratio mean for an Australian property investor's mortgage, refinancing window and June 16 RBA call.
Sydney values fell 0.9% in May, Melbourne 0.8%. Perth is still running at 26% over the year
Cotality's June 1 release put the national Home Value Index at flat for May 2026, the weakest monthly print in a year. Sydney and Melbourne are now five months into decline. Perth is up 26% over the year, Brisbane 19.7%, Darwin 19.6%. The 24 percentage point gap between the fastest and slowest capital is the widest of the cycle. Here is what the divergence means for an Australian property investor's equity, refinancing window and post-Budget purchase decision.
30 June sets the 2026-27 land tax bill in QLD, SA and WA. NSW's $1.075m threshold is frozen for a third year
Three states draw the 2026-27 land tax line at midnight on 30 June 2026: Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. NSW and Victoria assessed at 31 December 2025 are already cutting bills. With NSW's general threshold frozen at $1,075,000, Victoria's $50,000 floor still carrying the COVID Debt Levy, and the ATO requiring deductions in the year the liability arises, here is the 30-day checklist for an Australian property investor.
Residential building fell 0.6% in Q1 as build costs rose 1.1% for a third straight quarter
The ABS Q1 2026 Construction Work Done release on 27 May lifted total construction 3.4% on the quarter, but residential building work went backwards by 0.6% and new-dwelling pipeline growth slowed to 5.0% over the year, down from 8.7% in Q4. House construction prices rose 1.1% for a third straight quarter. The new-build exemption Treasury is betting on to absorb investor demand is narrowing before it has even started.
Nine in 10 rental returns have an error. The ATO is matching 2.3 million records this tax time
With 30 June five weeks away, the ATO says nine in 10 rental property owners get their return wrong, and around 80% of the mistakes sit in the interest deduction. Its property management data-matching program now pulls roughly 2.3 million records a year, on top of 2.2 million rental bond records. Here is exactly where landlords slip up and how to lodge a clean return.
April vacancy rose to 1.2%, the first rise in 12 months. Asking rents still climbed 7.3%
SQM Research's 12 May bulletin lifted the national rental vacancy rate from 1.0% in March to 1.2% in April 2026, the first material monthly rise in a year. Asking rents are still up 7.3% over the year. The release landed three days before negative gearing closed for new contracts. Here is what the turning point means for an Australian property investor's cash flow 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.