The number of households by housing tenure and landlord type are estimated as part of the biennial Survey of Income and Housing (SIH), conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The survey has been conducted every two years since 2003–04, with surveys before then conducted continuously from 1994–95 to 1997–98, and then in 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2002–03.

The SIH collects detailed information about income, wealth and household characteristics of persons aged 15 years and over in private dwellings throughout Australia. The SIH only includes usual residents of private dwellings, and exclude households that contain members of non-Australian defence forces stationed in Australia; households that contain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments; households in areas defined as Very Remote; and all non-private dwellings (which include hotels, boarding schools, boarding houses and institutions) and residents of non-private dwellings.

Data from the Housing Occupancy and Costs publication are also used in the following dashboard menu options: Household tenure, Household mean weekly housing costs, Housing costs as a proportion of household income (ABS) and Low income rental households in rental stress.

See ABS - Housing Occupancy and Costs for further information, including in-depth commentary and analysis, in particular, the source data Quality Declaration. Source reference Data downloads, table 2.1.