NZ rental property remains unchanged

Nationwide median weekly rent has remained unchanged in the last six months

NZ rental property remains unchanged
New Zealand’s median weekly rent has registered 4.7% up from a year ago but remained unchanged in the last six months, according to latest Trade Me Property Rental Index.

With the median weekly rent unmoved at $450 since January, head of Trade Me Property Nigel Jeffries said the rental property was a “mixed bag” throughout the country in June. 

Jeffries said year-on-year growth in asking rents in Auckland and Christchurch lagged the national increase.

In June, growth in the City of Sails was down on the national average, up only 3.9% from a year ago, while Christchurch posted a median weekly rent which was down 2.5% to $390.

Median weekly rents of “star performing” regions showed significant growth with Northland, the strongest performing region, up by 15.2% hitting near-record high of $380. This was followed by Waikato and Nelson up by 8.3% and 8.1% respectively.

“While some regions continue to grow solidly, the double-digit jumps we’ve been seeing have reduced significantly,” Jeffries said.

In the Bay of Plenty, the median weekly rent registered $350 in June 2015, $400 in June 2016 and $450 in April this year, but since then plateaued to $430 a week, up just 2.4 per cent on a year ago. 

The West Coast and Marlborough were all unchanged year-on-year, and Canterbury, the only region to fall, dipped 1.3%.

Nelson, hitting $400 a week, was the only region to hit a new record in June.