How many would tons of properties be? Having tons of properties available doesn't mean these are affordable for those who seek a rental and then how many people are looking at the same property?
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/ren...cars-c-8414065

Take my area, which is Inner City. I've been observing rental movements as well as sales in the area for some time. Let's just say without certain connections , it would be highly unlikely anyone would be successful, at least in the main to obtain a rental property market .

Yep - we've just agreed to rent out our flat, starting February. Didn't even go on market - renting to the daughter of some acquaintances. All the rentals in our strata are to 'friends and family' - no need to risk renting to strangers.

Brisbane is no better for rentals.
My landlord is selling the block of 7 units as the land is worth a lot. To find a new rental I would have to move at least 10km further from work (swapping a 20 minute bus ride for one of well over an hour, and pay at least three times my current rent. For a reasonable one bedroom flat in a decent suburb I'm now looking at around $650-700 per fortnight. And every viewing has 30-40 people, including whole families looking at squeezing into a one-bed

I took a look at our last home in Perth just before Covid, when we sold the home we made a “bit” of money but not long after house prices went “up” and I was gutted (it happens every time we sell lol) but before Covid the house prises in that area had
remained basically the same for years so being nosey I have just googled house prices on the boulevard where we lived and a much smaller house/block than ours was is up for sale for $710,000 😮 how can people afford that and rentals are so much more expensive, now I know it’s been 12 years since we lived in Aus and maybe salaries have risen and this is the norm but it really has shocked me.

Salaries haven't risen at a pace anywhere near enough to keep up with current rental prices. And once the property sales market started going berserk many investors kicked out their tenants and sold the properties for a large gain - hence the current lack of rentals available,

Try finding a rental in Canberra!

Perth has indeed become expensive. Prices haven't gone down here to any extent. We have a multibillion dollar methamphetamine business also contributing to high rents and prices. Insane I know, but few seem perturbed (to say the least) unless of course unable to score a rental. I have noticed a high movement of Eastern states plates over past year or so , especially around my manor. Barely detected a few years back, so intrastate migration obviously adding to difficulties. Not sure if migration from abroad has really ramped up yet in Perth. Goodness knows just where they would obtain housing, without connections or at least friends or family already here.