https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2605/S00218/renter-activity-stabilises-in-april-renters-continue-to-prioritise-affordability.htm
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Renter Activity Stabilises In April, Renters Continue To Prioritise Affordability |
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Renter activity eased in April following several record-setting months, but remained well ahead of the same time last year.
Barfoot & Thompson received more than 24,450 enquiries about properties for rent during April, dropping from a recent peak of over 32,000, but still 25.4 percent higher than in April 2025.
The number of people viewing and applying to rent properties followed a similar pattern, with both measures down in March but up 12.1 percent and 19.4 percent respectively year-on-year.
A total of 574 properties were let during the month, 9.1 percent more than April 2025.
Anil Anna, General Manager Property Management at Barfoot & Thompson, says the April dip was not unexpected coming off several strong months of activity, and given the coincidence of school holidays, Easter and ANZAC Day during the month.
“Many households looking to settle into a new home at the start of the year will now have done so, while ongoing economic uncertainty and cost of living pressures could be making people more cautious about moving,” he adds.
Pricing conditions across Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty remained broadly stable through April, reinforcing that the market continues to be driven more by value and affordability than urgency.
For example, the average weekly rent in Auckland was virtually unchanged from last month, sitting at $696.29 in April, down 46 cents from March and increasing less than 1 percent year-on-year.
“While renter engagement remains well ahead of where it was this time last year, affordability is playing a big role in renters’ price expectations and decision-making,” says Anil.
The proportion of properties rented at their initial advertised price continued to increase in April, with more than 70 percent securing tenants without requiring a reduction.
“This is the highest proportion we’ve seen for two years and points to stronger alignment between landlord expectations and what renters are prepared to pay.
“Landlords who price realistically from the start are generally seeing stronger engagement and faster results, which can be especially important as renter demand levels off.”
Barfoot & Thompson’s Property Management division operates in company branches across Auckland, Northland and Bay of Plenty. It is New Zealand’s largest private residential property management company, managing approximately 22,000 rental properties and employing more than 300 property managers and support staff. In Auckland, it manages around 18,500 properties at any one time. Three-bedroom properties represent over a third of this portfolio, followed by two-bedroom properties at just over a quarter. Across Auckland, it manages the most properties in West Auckland (>2,500), followed closely by South Auckland, North Shore and the Eastern city fringe suburbs. The division’s data from Central Auckland is made up of almost entirely apartments. In January 2026, the agency was recognised as the Best International Lettings/Rentals Agency at the 2025-26 International Property and Hotel Awards.
| April 2026 | Last month – March 2026 | Prev 3-month average | Last year – April 2025 |
| Average weekly rent – Auckland $696.29 | $696.75 -- | $696.49 -- | $690.44 +0.8% |
Properties rented – All 574 | 716 -19.8% | 681 -15.7% | 526 +9.1% |
| Month end properties available – All 711 | 664 +7.1% | 717 -0.8% | 824 -13.7% |
Enquiries – All 24,452 | 32,712 -25.3% | 32,104 -23.8% | 19,500 +25.4% |
Viewings – All 3,617 | 4,841 -25.3% | 4,848 -25.4% | 4,036 -10.4% |
Shown through – All 8,111 | 10,810 -25.0% | 10,534 -23.0% | 7,234 +12.1% |
Applications – All 3,249 | 4,177 -22.2% | 4.200 -22.7% | 2,722 +19.4% |
Glossary of terms: Average weekly rent is specific to properties in the Auckland region. All other figures are from Barfoot & Thompson's total portfolio. Properties rented includes new properties and new tenancies at already managed properties let during the month. Month end properties available is the number of properties listed for rent at the end of the calendar month. Enquiries is the total number of enquiries via the Barfoot & Thompson website, third-party sites, phone calls and emails. Viewings is the total number of open and by appointment viewings hosted during the month. Shown through is the number of individuals or groups registered to attend any viewing. Applications are complete applications received to rent a listed property.
| Focus Area | Number of bedrooms | Average by Focus Area | Year-on-year % change | ||||
| 0-1* | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5+ | |||
| Rodney | $423.62 | $563.30 | $690.25 | $824.42 | $990.04 | $715.42 | 1.80% |
| North Shore | $526.90 | $600.15 | $730.23 | $901.99 | $1,065.02 | $745.64 | 1.50% |
| West Auckland | $448.27 | $561.86 | $649.66 | $771.92 | $932.12 | $649.65 | 0.30% |
| Central Auckland | $473.05 | $647.72 | $949.12 | $1,001.11 | $1,113.33 | $578.27 | -0.70% |
| Central Auckland West | $523.16 | $628.19 | $826.99 | $995.77 | $1,455.22 | $749.13 | 0.80% |
| Central Auckland East | $468.22 | $593.69 | $743.73 | $937.53 | $1,171.84 | $725.35 | 1.00% |
| Eastern Suburbs | $475.09 | $623.14 | $787.21 | $973.99 | $1,241.03 | $751.30 | 0.40% |
| Pakuranga/Howick | $458.42 | $578.75 | $692.84 | $829.24 | $1,015.37 | $751.95 | -0.10% |
| South Auckland | $422.33 | $537.14 | $655.94 | $769.77 | $906.71 | $645.10 | 1.30% |
| Franklin/Manukau Rural | $373.68 | $504.95 | $597.42 | $702.24 | $871.32 | $620.79 | 0.80% |
| Average by Number of Bedrooms | $468.26 | $587.32 | $701.17 | $845.06 | $1,032.61 | $696.29 | 0.80% |
| Year-on-year % change | 2.30% | 0.80% | 1.10% | 0.70% | 0.10% | ||
*Please note: This column has been expanded to include a small number of previously omitted properties of ‘0 bedrooms’ to better reflect the range of homes of this size within the Barfoot & Thompson portfolio. This has seen a slight increase in some 0-1 bedroom category averages, but has not had a material impact on the overall Auckland average comparison.
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