Politicians and Their Real Estate Holdings: How Many Properties Do They Control?

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has bought and sold properties worth up to $12 million and generated sales of $18.8 million, Nine newspapers reported in April.

Last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese bought a $4.3 million clifftop home in Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast with his fiancée Jodie Haydon.

Critics of both accused them of being out of touch with voters in an election where housing affordability is a feature — a criticism neither found fair.

But the party leaders are hardly the only ones with property to their name.

At the start of each new parliament, politicians must disclose a range of interests that could result in a conflict on the parliamentary register. This includes property and shareholdings and can be updated at any time.

Based on those disclosures, here’s what we know about property ownership in parliament.

What is property ownership like in the ranks of parliament?

Federal politicians, on average, own about two properties per person — and home ownership is almost universal. About 94 per cent of federal politicians own at least one property, which includes investments, residential properties, holiday homes, and agricultural properties.

This is higher than the 67 per cent of Australians who own property, as recorded in the 2021 Census.

Comparing 2006 data (where there was 70 per cent property ownership across Australia) to the most recent figures, fewer Australians own a home. This is especially true for young people, with 50 per cent of 30 to 34-year-olds owning property.

Graph of federal politicians who own multiple properties by party

Federal politicians who own multiple properties by party. Credit: SBS The Feed

Liberal and Labor MPs both have an average of about two properties per person, Nationals are closer to three — although they’re more likely to have agricultural land — and Greens politicians are closer to an average of one.

Currently, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese owns two properties, a residential and an investment, while Dutton retains a single residential property in the town of Dayboro, about an hour’s drive north of the Brisbane CBD.

About 30 per cent of politicians only own one residential property, with many MPs also owning a second property in Canberra, where they sit in parliament for 20 weeks of the year.

The property owners of parliament

Most politicians own at least one property and an investment property, while a small number have big portfolios.

Liberal MP Karen Andrews (who is retiring at this election) and Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah are parliament’s biggest property owners with seven properties each.

Three of Ananda-Rajah’s properties are owned by her partner and Andrews’ six investment properties are jointly owned with her partner.

Liberal MP Nola Marino (also retiring at this election) has disclosed eight properties, one of which is a residential property owned by her partner, and the other seven are agricultural properties which are also jointly owned.

Leader of the House and Employment Minister Tony Burke has two residential properties listed — one in the Sydney suburb of Punchbowl and one in Canberra, and four investment properties.

Labor MP Andrew Charlton, member for Parramatta in Sydney’s west, also has five properties in his and his partner’s name.

His ownership of a house in Bellevue Hill in the city’s east – bought at auction for $16.1 million in November 2020 – has been a point of discussion in the previous and current elections.

Several senators have disclosed multiple properties which are self-owned, but because there is no obligation to disclose spouse ownership, we cannot be sure this is an exhaustive list.

Which politicians don’t own property?

In his last update to the parliamentary register, Queensland MP Bob Katter disclosed that he recently sold a rental property which he jointly owned with his wife (a property investor). But in a handwritten note, he said he was the owner of 100 cows in Cape York.

There are 12 MPs who do not have any property on their records, and one senator (noting senators’ spouses’ properties don’t need to be disclosed).

Two men wearing blue long-sleeve shirts, blue jeans and pale cowboy hats standing next to two black and white cows in a shed

Queensland MP Bob Katter (back) is one of small number of politicians who does not own property. He does, however, own 100 cows. Credit: Bob Katter

Greens housing spokesperson MP Max Chandler-Mather — who often uses his status as one of parliament’s only renters to advocate for renters’ rights and housing affordability — is on the list.

As is the United Australia Party’s only senator, Ralph Babet. He has, however, disclosed shares in a real estate company called Babet Brothers.

Liberal party members who don’t own property are Andrew McLachlan, Jacinta Price, James Stevens and Jane Hume. Labor’s Jana Stewart, Josh Burns, Matt Burnell and the Greens’ Stephen Bates have not disclosed property.

Are politicians investing more than others?

Politicians are some of Australia’s top earners. The base salary for an MP or senator is $233,660 — and MPs with additional duties, including ministers in cabinet and ministers with portfolios, receive a sum on top of this.

When compared with wider Australia, the percentage of politicians with at least one investment property (48.25 per cent) is higher than the 15 per cent of Australians who own an investment dwelling.

According to the most recent Australian Tax Office data (2021-22), the more income you made the more likely you were to be a property investor — so politicians are in line with salary trends.

Hal Pawson, a professor of Housing Research and Policy and associate director of the City Futures Research Centre at UNSW said: “If you looked at the people in that echelon of above average incomes across Australia, you would find that rental property ownership was quite high amongst that group.”

Are their property portfolios likely to shape policy?

When Albanese was questioned on his holiday home purchase, he said, “Of course, I am much better off as prime minister, I earn a good income, I understand that.”

“I also know what it is like to struggle. My mum lived in the one public housing [home] that she was born in for all of her 65 years.

“I know what it is like, which is why I want to help all Australians into a home.”

Dutton said he had invested in property according to the laws, when he was questioned by Nine about whether he was a critic of changes to family trusts and negative gearing because he was on the market for a 27th property.

“I’ve invested according to the law, I’ve claimed deductions according to the law, I’ve been aspirational in my life,” he said. “I didn’t start with money; I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth and I worked hard.”

Pawson said it’s fair to raise questions about interests but says it’s important to note that most tax changes include a “grandfathering clause”.

“[They do] propose that people who are already private landlords who already have a rental property would be insulated from any changes,” he said.

“I don’t think [their properties are] a very likely explanation for the extreme reluctance of politicians on both sides of politics to commit to something which is quite politically risky.”

Professor of Australian politics at the University of Sydney, Rodney Smith, said if it were up to income alone, there wouldn’t be differences in housing policy across the parties.

“If that were the case, then the Greens’ policy would look very much like Labor’s policy would look very much like the Coalition’s policy. But there are differences there,” he said.

“So, it indicates to me at least that the parties are not just driven by the private interests.”

MPs can update the register at any time, but the data gathered by SBS is accurate as of 30 April, 2025.