A new survey has revealed the age Australians think is "too old" to still be living at home — and the findings land as rents climb and rental vacancies stay tight. The survey, from financial comparison site Finder, asked 1,010 Australians to weigh in on how old was "too old" to be still living in the family home, with the average Australian saying 31-years-old was the cut-off date.It found gen z and baby boomers held the harshest views, both agreeing that 30 was too old to still be living with family.Millennials and gen x were slightly more forgiving, nominating 32 as the cut-off.Parents of under 18s were also stricter (30) than those without children (32).News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.A new survey suggests 31-years-old is the cut-off date for living in the family home. Source: SBS NewsBut Finder's personal finance expert Sarah Megginson says those numbers don't reflect the financial reality many Australians are living through."We know renters are doing it tough — Finder's data shows 47 per cent of Aussie tenants struggled to pay their rent in June," Megginson told SBS News."In many suburbs, renters are spending half of their weekly income or more just on rent, and after other bills are paid there’s not much left over for groceries and simply living."The accepted benchmark for rental stress is spending 30 per cent of income on rent — a threshold Megginson says many Australians would now consider "welcome relief" by comparison.She says the housing crisis is pushing back the traditional markers of adulthood."The traditional milestones of adulthood are being pushed further back, with many people delaying moving out, buying a home and starting a family," she said. It's not necessarily a new trend, either — though data does suggest it's accelerated in recent years.A July report from research firm McCrindle found young Australians were living with their parents for longer. In 2006, 60 per cent of 19-year-olds lived at home — but by 2021, that figure climbed to 70 per cent.Their analysis found that young Australians were being challenged with high levels of student debt and a competitive housing market — with some returning to the family nest after moving out to accelerate savings for a housing deposit.Almost three in five Australians (57 per cent) said they're open to or would welcome living in a multi-generational home with their family — defined as three or more generations living under the same roof.Twelve per cent currently live in a multi-generational home, McCrindle found, while 32 per cent have done so in the past — with those who speak a language other than English at home significantly more likely to live in this way. Rents high, vacancies lowThe pressure to move out of home is playing out against a rental market that's becoming steadily less forgiving.Nationally, rents rose 3.08 per cent quarter-on-quarter in June and 6.35 per cent over the year, according to REA Group, taking the median weekly rent for a dwelling to $670.Perth recorded the steepest annual rise, up 10.29 per cent to a $750 median, followed by Hobart (up 9.09 per cent, to $600) and Darwin (up 7.69 per cent, to $700).Nationally, the weekly median rent for a dwelling is sitting at $670 — and $690 across combined capital cities. Source: SBS NewsSydney remains the most expensive capital, with rents up 6.67 per cent to an $800 median, ahead of Brisbane ($695, up 6.92 per cent), the ACT ($650, up 4.84 per cent), Adelaide ($625, up 4.17 per cent) and Melbourne ($600, up 5.26 per cent).Vacancies are just as tight.The national vacancy rate ticked up slightly in June, to 1.26 per cent, but that's still far below where it sat five years ago — down 37 per cent nationally, and 47 per cent in capital cities specifically.Nationally, vacancy rates are sitting at 1.26 per cent — a slight increase monthly, but still down 37 per cent over the last five years. Source: SBS NewsDarwin (0.70 per cent) and Hobart (0.72 per cent) have the least available rental stock of any capital, while Melbourne (1.51 per cent) and the ACT (1.50 per cent) have the most breathing room.Sydney's vacancy rate sits at 1.30 per cent, though it recorded the biggest monthly jump of any capital, up 0.14 percentage points.Why staying home longer is becoming the normREA Group economist Luc Redman says that squeeze is precisely what's keeping young Australians at home for longer."The rental market remains tight nationally despite some easing since the start of 2026," Redman told SBS News. "The rate of rental price increases certainly would be deterring consumers from entering the rental market and looking for other options where possible.""This has meant that younger people stay in their parents' home for longer."He says the shift has a broader impact."That has a broader negative impact on the economy when economically productive young people aren't able to move closer to economic opportunities," he said."This has certainly shifted over the past few decades as the income of younger people hasn't been able to keep up with rent price increases."Separately, July Cotality research found households are now devoting close to a third of their income to rent — a record high — compared to around 27 per cent five years ago.That sits alongside July data from the OECD, which found Australians' real wages have fallen 5.1 per cent since March 2021, one of the steepest declines among developed economies — making rental hikes sting even more. Australians born in the 1990s are the first generation on record to be no better off than the one that preceded them, according to the Productivity Commission.Megginson says living at home longer may now be the smarter financial move."Living with your parents at 31 may raise eyebrows, but struggling to afford rent is becoming the norm," she said."Living at home longer can be a smart financial move, allowing young adults to save a deposit faster and avoid the pressure of soaring rents."For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.