How does Unrent by Coposit work?
Unrent moves you into a completed, newly built home supplied by one of Coposit's property partners. You make an upfront payment, then pay rent, which Coposit says accumulates toward your deposit instead of going to a landlord. After about 12 months you settle on the home with a home loan from a lender of your choice.
Coposit says it charges you no fees, no option fee and no interest. It charges the property partner a sale fee when the purchase completes, and says the price is the same as buying the home outright. When we checked, Unrent had a waitlist open and said the upfront amount would be confirmed when locations are announced.
How is PublicSquare Rent-to-Own different?
With PublicSquare's Rent-to-Own homes, you choose any established or new home on its own title listed for rent that you'd love to buy, and the owner agrees to rent it to you on a Rent-to-Own basis. PublicSquare acts for you as your licensed buyer's agent, not for the owner.
You pay the listed rent plus deposit contributions of 50% of your first-year weekly rent, credited to you as your deposit when you buy. You get four to eight years to build it, and switch to a mortgage in years 4 to 8. The program runs in Queensland and New South Wales.
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What does each cost upfront and every week?
PublicSquare needs about $4,715 before you move in, then $1,059.62 a week. Unrent's weekly cost is your rent, but its upfront payment hadn't been published when we checked.
| PublicSquare Rent-to-Own | Unrent | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash before you move in | About $4,715: legal advice $1,100, bond $2,600, first 12 weeks of our fee $1,015.38 | An upfront payment; amount not yet published |
| Weekly while you rent | $1,059.62: rent $650, deposit contributions $325, our fee $84.62 | $650 rent, which Coposit says accumulates toward your deposit |
| Deposit built | $16,900 after one year; $67,600 by year 4; $101,400 by year 6 | $33,800 after about 12 months, plus your upfront payment |
| When you buy | Years 4 to 8, when you choose | After about 12 months |
| Purchase price | The higher of the contracted minimum or an independent valuation | Set by the developer; Coposit says it is the same as buying outright |
| Rates, insurance, maintenance | Paid by the owner until you buy | Not published for the rental period; yours once you own |
| PublicSquare Rent-to-Own | Unrent | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash before you move in | About $4,715: legal advice $1,100, bond $2,600, first 12 weeks of our fee $1,015.38 | An upfront payment; amount not yet published |
| Weekly while you rent | $1,059.62: rent $650, deposit contributions $325, our fee $84.62 | $650 rent, which Coposit says accumulates toward your deposit |
| Deposit built | $16,900 after one year; $67,600 by year 4; $101,400 by year 6 | $33,800 after about 12 months, plus your upfront payment |
| When you buy | Years 4 to 8, when you choose | After about 12 months |
| Purchase price | The higher of the contracted minimum or an independent valuation | Set by the developer; Coposit says it is the same as buying outright |
| Rates, insurance, maintenance | Paid by the owner until you buy | Not published for the rental period; yours once you own |
Who pays for Unrent's model? The developer: it forgoes a year of rent and pays Coposit a sale fee, in return for selling a completed home. That means the developer sets the price, so ask for an independent valuation before you commit. And a deposit of about 4.5%, plus your upfront payment, usually means a high-LVR loan with Lenders Mortgage Insurance unless you qualify for the government's 5% Deposit Scheme.
How do Unrent and PublicSquare compare side by side?
Unrent is a short path to buying a developer's completed home. PublicSquare is a longer path on a home you choose, with an owner and a buyer's agent acting for you.
| PublicSquare Rent-to-Own | Unrent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | People with steady income who could service a mortgage later but don't have, or don't want to pay, the upfront costs now. Savings of at least $5,000. | Renters who could get a home loan within about a year and want a newly built home from a developer partner |
| Who it works for | You. PublicSquare is your licensed buyer's agent | Coposit is paid a sale fee by the property partner |
| Which homes | Any established or new house, townhouse or apartment on its own title listed for rent in QLD or NSW, if the owner agrees | Completed, newly built homes supplied by Coposit's property partners |
| Where | Queensland and New South Wales | Not yet published |
| Who owns the home | The owner, until you buy. You hold a Call Option Deed: the right, but not the obligation, to buy | The property partner, until settlement. Coposit says you have a contract and a legal right to buy |
| How you buy | Switch to a mortgage with your choice of lender in years 4 to 8, at the higher of the contracted minimum price or an independent valuation | Settle after about 12 months with a home loan from your choice of lender |
| What if you don't buy | From year 4 you can request an open-market sale under the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee. You receive your contributions back, less any unpaid amounts, any shortfall and a $3,300 marketing cost | Not clearly published when we checked |
| PublicSquare Rent-to-Own | Unrent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | People with steady income who could service a mortgage later but don't have, or don't want to pay, the upfront costs now. Savings of at least $5,000. | Renters who could get a home loan within about a year and want a newly built home from a developer partner |
| Who it works for | You. PublicSquare is your licensed buyer's agent | Coposit is paid a sale fee by the property partner |
| Which homes | Any established or new house, townhouse or apartment on its own title listed for rent in QLD or NSW, if the owner agrees | Completed, newly built homes supplied by Coposit's property partners |
| Where | Queensland and New South Wales | Not yet published |
| Who owns the home | The owner, until you buy. You hold a Call Option Deed: the right, but not the obligation, to buy | The property partner, until settlement. Coposit says you have a contract and a legal right to buy |
| How you buy | Switch to a mortgage with your choice of lender in years 4 to 8, at the higher of the contracted minimum price or an independent valuation | Settle after about 12 months with a home loan from your choice of lender |
| What if you don't buy | From year 4 you can request an open-market sale under the owner's Sell-Back Guarantee. You receive your contributions back, less any unpaid amounts, any shortfall and a $3,300 marketing cost | Not clearly published when we checked |
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Who does each company work for?
Unrent is a sales channel for developers' completed homes. Coposit's co-founder told Yahoo Finance that part of every project's completed stock stays unsold, and that working with developers to clear it would also help renters. Coposit is paid by the property partner when you buy.
PublicSquare works for you. As your licensed buyer's agent, we're required to act in your interests, not the owner's, and on our Plus package we also research and negotiate the price. You choose from homes across Queensland and New South Wales, established or new, rather than a developer's remaining stock.
What should you ask Unrent before you join?
Unrent was still on a waitlist when we checked, so some of the details that decide whether it's right for you weren't published. Ask for these in writing:
- How much is the upfront payment, and is it refundable?
- Which suburbs and homes are on offer, and how is each price set?
- Will an independent valuation be done before I commit?
- What happens to my upfront payment and accumulated rent if I can't get a home loan after 12 months?
- Who pays rates, insurance and maintenance while I rent?
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Which suits you: Unrent or PublicSquare?
Unrent may suit you if
- you want a newly built home from a developer, and the home on offer is one you would choose anyway;
- you expect to qualify for a home loan within about a year;
- you want every rent payment counted toward your deposit, with no fees from Coposit, and can wait for its launch details.
PublicSquare may suit you if
- you want to choose any established or new home listed for rent in Queensland or New South Wales;
- you want a buyer's agent acting for you rather than a developer;
- you want four to eight years to build a larger deposit before a lender assesses you;
- you want rent rises capped at 4% a year and the owner paying rates, insurance and maintenance during the lease.
Rent-to-Own has trade-offs too. Your weekly cost is higher than plain renting, and you can't pay less than the contracted minimum price, so if the market grows more slowly than your minimum you would pay above market value.
What other options should you compare?
Coposit's original product spreads an off-the-plan deposit over the build; see Coposit vs PublicSquare. If you could afford a mortgage today, compare a deposit loan in OwnHome vs PublicSquare. For every option in one place, read Rent-to-Own companies in Australia compared.
Frequently asked questions
Unrent is a home ownership pathway from Coposit. You move into a completed home supplied by a developer partner, your rent accumulates toward a deposit for about 12 months, and then you buy the home with a home loan.
Sources
Written by
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
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.
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How this comparison was made
Written by Jarrod Wills (Buyer's Agent) and reviewed for accuracy by Dean Arnold (Founder & CEO) before publishing. Program terms are quoted from PublicSquare's own Contract and Appointment documents, and market figures are referenced to the sources listed above. We check it again whenever the numbers change; it was last updated 12 November 2026.
For more information, visit our Editorial Guidelines.
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.
