Rents Hold Steady As Kiwi Prepare For A Busy Summer

• Aotearoa's median rent in December was $620 per week, flat month-on-month but 1.6% or $10 less per week than December 2024
• Auckland and the Bay of Plenty were the country's most expensive regions, sitting at a median of $650 per week. Southland was the most affordable region at $450 per week
• Wellington's median weekly rent held steady from November but was $50 cheaper year-on-year
• Demand for rentals climbed with search activity up 8 per cent year-on-year

The national median weekly rent remained unchanged in December, offering some welcome stability for renters heading into the new year.

Trade Me Property’s latest Rental Price Index shows the national median weekly rent held firm at $620 in December. This marks a 1.6 per cent fall compared to the same time last year, meaning renters are paying about $10 less per week than they were in December 2024.

"It’s a bit of a steady start to the summer," says Trade Me Property spokesperson Casey Wylde.

"After some movement earlier in the year, the national median rent settled at the $620 mark for the second month in a row. While it’s great news for renters' wallets that prices haven’t spiked, we’re seeing a lot of interest behind the scenes."

Demand heats up while supply takes a dip

Despite the flat pricing, demand for rentals is climbing with search activity up 8 per cent year-on-year in December.

“We saw significant demand for summer hot spots particularly in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki towards the end of 2025.”

Search activity in Gisborne jumped 51 per cent year-on-year, with Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki also up 28 and 29 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of new rental listings coming onto the market dropped by 23 per cent compared to November, but remains up four per cent on December 2024.

"We usually see a dip in new listings as people focus on their holidays, but the demand isn’t slowing down," says Mrs Wylde.

"With searches up and new listings down, the market’s tightening. If you’re looking for a new place, you’ll need to be quick with many Kiwi clearly using their holiday downtime to plan their next move."

Regional highlights: Auckland and Bay of Plenty lead the pack

Auckland and the Bay of Plenty remain the most expensive regions to rent in Aotearoa, both sitting at a median of $650 per week.

While Auckland's rent remained flat month-on-month, it’s seen a 3.0 per cent drop compared to December 2024. In the Bay of Plenty region, rent’s down 1.5 per cent both month-on-month and year-on-year.

Other notable regional movements across the month include Canterbury where rents rose 1.8 per cent from November to $580 per week, Southland which remains the most affordable at $450 per week, and Wellington which—while holding steady month-to-month at $600 per week—is $50 cheaper than last December.

"The biggest wins for tenants in Pōneke are in the smaller-to-mid-sized homes. We’ve seen rents for 1–2 bedroom properties fall by over 5 per cent annually, while 3–4 bedroom homes have dropped by nearly 7 per cent. For families and young professionals in the capital, the cost of living in a rental’s now back to levels we haven’t seen in years."

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