What it costs to rent across New Zealand
Here is what the normal flat rents for around the country right now, how that has moved over 15 years, and how every region compares. The figures come from government bond records, so they cover real tenancies, not just listings.
494,316
Rental properties
$595/wk
Most pay $485 to $700
Normal flat
+54.5%
Growth, 10 years
+19%
Growth, 5 years
Rent data: MBIE bond data (CC BY 4.0). Latest period Mar 2026.
Rent over time
The orange line is what the normal flat rents for in any given year. The shaded band shows where most rents sat, from the cheaper end to the dearer end. It tells you the direction rents have moved, not just today's number.
Rents jump every January because that is when most student flats sign new leases for the year, and brand new tenancies rent higher than the standing stock. The line settles back by autumn. Source: MBIE bond data.
Rent by region
Every region in the country, ranked by what the normal flat rents for. Tap any row to see its rents and reviews. All rows are listed below; open any region to compare its cities and districts.
| # | Region | Normal flat | Flats | Flatchat rating | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bay of Plenty | $650/wk | 22,887 | 1.6· 1 | |
| 2 | Gisborne | $650/wk | 2,859 | no reviews yet | |
| 3 | Auckland | $640/wk | 162,510 | 2.7· 40 | |
| 4 | Tasman | $610/wk | 2,421 | no reviews yet | |
| 5 | Hawke's Bay | $600/wk | 9,774 | 3.9· 4 | |
| 6 | Wellington | $590/wk | 48,990 | 2.6· 115 | |
| 7 | Northland | $583/wk | 10,788 | no reviews yet | |
| 8 | Waikato | $570/wk | 38,151 | 2.9· 8 | |
| 9 | Taranaki | $565/wk | 7,485 | no reviews yet | |
| 10 | Canterbury | $550/wk | 53,427 | 2.7· 29 | |
| 11 | Otago | $550/wk | 20,451 | 3· 2,292 | |
| 12 | Nelson | $550/wk | 4,155 | no reviews yet | |
| 13 | Marlborough | $550/wk | 2,415 | no reviews yet | |
| 14 | Manawatu-Wanganui | $520/wk | 18,522 | no reviews yet | |
| 15 | Southland | $490/wk | 6,141 | 2.7· 3 | |
| 16 | West Coast | $430/wk | 1,368 | no reviews yet |