Rent-to-Own Companies in Australia Compared

Which rent-to-own companies operate in Australia?

These six options come up most when Australians search for rent-to-own, though they work in quite different ways:

• PublicSquare: Rent-to-Own homes in Queensland and New South Wales. You rent any home listed for rent, build a deposit with fixed weekly contributions, and switch to a mortgage in years 4 to 8.
• Assemble: a Melbourne developer that rents its own new apartments for up to five years, with an option to buy at a price set before you move in.
• SA Rent to Own: the South Australian Housing Trust's program. You rent a purpose-built home at 75% of market rent, then buy it at a price agreed when you sign.
• Unrent: from Coposit. You move into a developer's completed home, and about a year of rent counts toward your deposit before you buy.
• Coposit: an off-the-plan deposit payment plan. You secure a new home with $10,000, then pay the rest of your deposit weekly while it's built.
• OwnHome: a deposit loan. It lends you up to the full 20% deposit, paired with an 80% home loan, so you can buy now.

How do the six compare at a glance?

Where you live narrows the field first. Then the big differences are who owns the home until you buy, and who the company works for.

What does each cost to start, and every week?

The cheapest week-to-week option isn't always the cheapest overall. What matters is what you pay, and how much of it comes back to you as a deposit or equity.

Coposit and OwnHome also leave you paying rates, insurance and maintenance once you own. With PublicSquare, Assemble and SA Rent to Own, the owner pays those while you rent.

What happens if you can't buy?

With the three rent-first options you can walk away, but what you get back differs. With PublicSquare, from year 4 you can request an open-market sale under the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee and receive your contributions back, less any unpaid amounts, any shortfall and a $3,300 marketing cost. With Assemble and SA Rent to Own you move out; your rent was rent, so there's nothing to refund.

Coposit and OwnHome commit you to buying. Coposit says you forfeit your instalments if you pull out after contracts. With OwnHome you own the home and owe both loans from settlement. Unrent hadn't clearly published its exit terms when we checked.

Which provider suits which buyer?

PublicSquare may suit you if

You live in Queensland or New South Wales, have steady income and savings of at least $5,000, and want to choose your own home, established or new. You'd like a 0% deposit start, a buyer's agent acting for you, and up to eight years in one home with rent rises capped at 4% a year.

Assemble may suit you if

You live in Melbourne, want a new apartment in a community building, and can save a 10% deposit on your own, once a pathway home becomes available. See Assemble vs PublicSquare.

SA Rent to Own may suit you if

You live in South Australia, meet its income and asset limits, and want a new Housing Trust home at reduced rent while you prepare to buy within a year or two. Details are on the HomeSeeker SA Rent to Own page.

Unrent may suit you if

You want a newly built home from a developer, expect to qualify for a home loan within about a year, and can wait for its launch details. See Unrent vs PublicSquare.

Coposit may suit you if

You have $10,000, want a brand-new home, can pay instalments on top of your current rent while it's built, and expect to get a mortgage when it's finished. See Coposit vs PublicSquare.

OwnHome may suit you if

A lender would approve you today, you can afford repayments on two loans plus ownership costs, and you have savings for stamp duty and buying costs. See OwnHome vs PublicSquare.

What should you check before choosing any provider?

Ask every provider these questions, including us, and get the answers in writing:

1. Is the provider licensed in your state, and who does it act for: you, or the seller?
2. Who owns the home until you buy, and what exactly do you hold?
3. How is the purchase price set, and who sets it?
4. What do you pay upfront and each week, and which payments come back to you?
5. What happens to your money if you can't get a mortgage, or decide not to buy?
6. Has a solicitor with no link to the provider or seller read the contract?

For the risks to weigh with any rent-to-own deal, read Is Rent-to-Own Safe in NSW and Queensland?

When isn't rent-to-own the right choice?

Rent-to-own usually isn't the best fit if you could get a mortgage today and have the cash for stamp duty and buying costs, because buying now usually costs less over time. It also doesn't suit you if you may move within a few years, or can't see a path to a mortgage by the time you need one.

Written by

Jarrod Wills

Buyer's Agent

Licensed agent · Former mortgage broker

Over 10 years’ experience as a mortgage broker and real estate agent, now a licensed buyer’s agent with PublicSquare since 2021. He has worked on 100+ property transactions and knows the Queensland and New South Wales markets and the Rent-to-Own model well.

Reviewed by

Dean Arnold

Founder & CEO

Licensed real estate agent

I started PublicSquare in 2021 to give homebuyers a real path to ownership without a deposit, and landlords a stronger-cashflow alternative to a standard rental. I hold real estate licences in Queensland and New South Wales and personally review every property that enters the program.

Read more about Rent-to-Own.

This article is general information only and does not take your personal circumstances into account. PublicSquare is a licensed real estate agency, not a financial adviser or credit provider. Consider seeking independent advice before making a decision.