Abstract: This paper examines the geographic patterns of ‘mis-located’ households in terms of a mismatch of income and rental payments in the private market in Australia. Recently, such displacement of lower income households in Australian cities has become a public concern, since higher income households are occupying increasing numbers of low-rent dwellings. However, the extent to which rental tenure is associated with growing socio-spatial polarisation is largely under-studied. Using Brisbane as a case study, we undertake neighbourhood scale mapping and use cross-sectional approaches to address critical gaps in the understanding of spatial rent mismatch in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. GIS-based analysis not only highlights areas of housing stress and displacement in metropolitan suburbs, but also offers broad implications for policies to address the ‘mis-location’ of private rental housing in Australian neighbourhoods. The findings will guide housing and urban policy development in a way that anticipates the needs and aspirations of low-income households and first homebuyers and supports efficient fiscal allocation to match rental needs across suburbs.