The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has released alarming new data showing sharply rising rents, falling rental vacancies and listings, as well as a dearth of affordable rental options across the city.
As shown in the next chart, the annual growth in median rents across Metropolitan Melbourne increased to 4.2% in the year to June, with a clear upwards trend evident:
![](https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Melbourne-rental-growth.png)