Approvals to build new homes rebounded in September, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The latest figures show that the total number of homes approved rose 5.1 per cent in September to 17,948, seasonally adjusted.
Approvals for multi-unit dwellings rose 16.6 per cent in September, after a 21.7 per cent fall in August. This result was reduced, however, by approvals to build new standalone houses, which fell 5.3 per cent to 10,432, following a 5.4 per cent rise in August.
House approvals were lower across all states, falling 5.3 per cent to 10,432 but still remain 9.6 per cent higher than a year ago.
ABS head of construction statistics Daniel Rossi observed that the September fall in house approvals is the largest since August 2025.
"Despite this drop, it is the ninth consecutive month where more than 10,000 private sector houses have been approved across Australia", he added.
Higher apartment approvals drove the rebound in the multi-unit sector, rising 16.6 per cent to 6,579 dwellings, 20.5 per cent lower than September last year.
In original terms, apartment approvals rose 25.6 per cent to 4,129 dwellings, slightly above the average of 4,106 dwellings over the past twelve months.
"New South Wales had the biggest rise in apartment approvals in September, with 1,995 apartments approved compared to 901 in August", Rossi noted.
Approvals for townhouses rose 8.3 per cent to 2,792 dwellings in original terms, after a 19.4 per cent August fall. Townhouse approvals are 2.5 per cent lower than the average of 2,864 dwellings over the past twelve months.
The value of total residential building value fell 2.8 per cent to $11.06 billion. This was driven by a 3.3 per cent fall in new residential building to $9.74b, and a 0.8 per cent rise in alterations and additions to $1.32b.