Julie Daniel's rent increase for her three-bedroom Chisholm home was nearly double the rate of the ACT private market last year, but 64 per cent of public tenants were given a reprieve, with rates reduced or unchanged.

The latest review of rent for all public housing properties was applied on January 31, with Ms Daniel alerted in November her weekly bill would rise from $380 to $410, up 7.9 per cent.

She immediately sought a second review, and separate inspections occurred in December and January, but she has yet to hear an outcome.

"And that's with constant calling saying, 'I'm struggling, I've used up what little savings I had'."

The 53-year-old, who works an average 30 hours per week as a blood collector, said Housing ACT officials had indicated to her many others were also getting the second review.

"For the years when the rental prices went down, they never contacted me to say you can pay less rent."

Allhomes reported achieved private house rental prices across Canberra increased 4.3 per cent over 2015 to $490, an extra $20 a week, while unit and apartment prices increased 2.7 per cent to $380, an extra $10 a week.

However, median weekly rents across Chisholm rose by $30, to $450, in the final nine months of last year, up 7.1 per cent, based on Domain figures.

Ms Daniel shares her home of 23 years with a 26-year-old daughter and her husband, and their three-year-old child. Her rent has not changed since 2012, when it went up by $20.

She is part of the minority – 5 per cent – of the ACT's 10,600 public housing tenants who pay market rent because of their income. The rest receive a rebate which guarantees they will never pay more than 25 per cent of their income on rent.

A Community Services Directorate spokesman said the most recent independent review had led to an average rental increase across the Housing ACT portfolio of just 0.14 per cent.

"The rents of 36 per cent of the properties decreased, 26 per cent remained unchanged and 38 per cent increased," he said.

The average rent for three-bedroom houses was unchanged at $422 per week.

The spokesman said the outcome of the second independent valuation for the Chisholm tenant should be notified to the tenant in May, and if it was lower, the tenant would be refunded the difference.

Housing ACT was criticised for an extended delay in its 2014 annual review decision making, with no changes to rent made despite a fall of nearly 5 per cent in Canberra's private rentals.

QUICK FACTS

*Latest annual review of public housing properties involved a rent increase for 38 per cent, decrease for 36 per cent, no change for 26 per cent.

*Average rental increase was 0.14 per cent.

*Average weekly rent for houses was down $7 to $428 per week.