Rent Increase in NSW? Read This Before You Pay It

The email from your agent says the rent's going up. Maybe it's $25 a week, maybe it's $90, and you're already doing the maths on what that means over a year. ($1300 or $4680 if you haven't and don't need the extra stress in your life.)

In NSW, that notice is the start of a conversation, and plenty of renters can get the number brought down. It mostly comes down to whether you can show what places like yours actually rent for.

Can my landlord just put the rent up in NSW?

There are rules to how they must do it. Rent can't go up in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that only once every 12 months. Renewing your lease doesn't reset that clock. Your landlord also has to give you at least 60 days' written notice with the new rent and the date it starts.

If something's off, like it's been less than a year since your last increase, the increase may not be valid at all.

Is there a limit on how much rent can go up in NSW?

There's no set percentage, but that doesn't mean anything goes. An increase can be ruled excessive, and the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) can then set your rent for the next 12 months. To decide, it looks at things like rents for similar places in your area, the state of repair of your home and what comes with it. If the oven's been dead for months, you've told them, and the rent's still going up, that counts in your favour.

How pushing back works

Most rent increases get sorted with an email, not a tribunal. If you can make a case against the increase, or against how big it is, your chances get a lot better. It helps too if you've been a good tenant who pays on time. Most landlords would rather keep a renter like that than find a new one over a few dollars a week.

If it does go further, the path looks like this:

1. Talk to your landlord or agent. Most disputes end here. If they agree to a lower number, get it in writing. They don't need to send you a new notice.
2. Get help from NSW Fair Trading or the Tenants' Union if the conversation stalls.
3. Apply to NCAT within 30 days of getting the notice. It can set your rent for the next 12 months.

If it gets to NCAT, it's up to you to prove the increase is excessive, so the case you can make matters from the very first email. Comparing similar rents, looking at rent trends and the cost of living, finding similar places that rent for less, and taking into account how well your place has been maintained all help you build it. It's a lot of work, and agents are often counting on you not doing it. But it usually pays off. Even $10 a week less saves you $520 a year.

That's why we built Champion: to be, well, your champion when it's time to push back. Check it out here.

What not to do when you get a rent increase

• Do not stop paying rent. If the notice is valid, pay the new amount from the date it starts while you challenge it, so you never fall into arrears.
• Do not miss the 30 days. The window to apply to NCAT runs from when you receive the notice, not from when negotiations break down.
• Do not sign a new lease at the higher rent just to make the question go away. Settle the number first.
• Do not argue without evidence. "It feels like a lot" is easy to ignore. Comparable rents and a repair history are not.

Can I get kicked out for pushing back?

No. Since 19 May 2025, a NSW landlord needs a valid legal reason, backed by evidence, to end your tenancy. That covers fixed-term and periodic leases, and challenging a rent increase isn't one of those reasons.