Average rents in Central are “through the roof” according to a local property manager.

365 Property Management property manager Priscilla Munro said landlords can ask for whatever rent they would like to.

“I’ve seen a two bedroom property in Cromwell at $700 per week.”

She said in Central there were a lack of rentals because of a big shift towards putting properties up for sale at the moment.

365 Property Management’s Priscilla Munro. PHOTO: Supplied

Priscilla said she had 35 people, “good tenants” listed with her, who would happily rent if she could find them an appropriate house.

Other factors were compounding the limited rental pool, including the Christmas holiday season coming up, when people could list on Airbnb and seasonal workers also needing accommodation. 

She said the average rent for a three bedroom, one bathroom house in Cromwell - likely with an original kitchen - was about $550 per week. 

“Traditionally in [Alexandra] it might be $50 less, but with the shortage of homes the rates are on par.”

She noted that she’s seeing more inter-generational living and bigger households as a consequence, with grandparents, parents and children sharing properties.

With the National Party’s election promise to reverse Labour’s removal of the no-cause termination, shifting the balance back towards landlords and investors, Priscilla said she was hopeful investors would return to the market soon.

The Central App spoke with another Central property manager, who wished to remain anonymous.

They said their waitlist was similar in size, with 29 existing applications. The length of time to secure a rental varied.   

“Some are lucky enough to secure a property within a month, where others are waiting three, six or even nine months. 

“It depends on what becomes available at the time and if you’re needing a one, two or three bedroom property. We try to prioritise our applicants depending on their current situation.

“[We] hear it from both sides, firstly from the tenants about how hard it is to find a rental and how expensive properties are, and then from the owners about the costs . . . with interest rates and the new healthy home regulations.

“[We] understand with all the rising costs why some landlords have had to sell their properties, but yes we are definitely short on [rentals]. We would love to see some more become available in the near future.”

The manager said they knew of families living with parents or grandparents sharing houses while they wait for a rental to become available.

“Others are on their last days on their fixed term agreements, or notice period and have nowhere to go. Unfortunately, it is out of our control when we have no rental properties available.”

Working mum of two Kenice Sutherland (38) is currently living in a caravan on her parents' property after her landlord gave her notice their rental was being sold.

Kenice said she had rented the property in Alexandra for a year, which rolled over to become a periodic tenancy. 

“We were given 28 days' notice to get out . . . we chose to leave early.”

The family of four have been with her parents for two weeks so far, with the children sleeping in a room in the house, and her and her partner in the caravan. 

She said she felt “sick about being booted out” as they turned their rented property around, putting a lot of effort into the garden and planting tulips. 

Kenice moved to Alexandra in June 2022 from Tuatapere, where rented accommodation was part and parcel of her job in farming.

“I find it funny, it used to be $200 for us to rent a house when my daughter was three, nine years later it’s $450 per week. It’s a huge change in a lifetime.”

“I want to see more affordable rental properties, to make life a bit easier for Kiwis.”

Kenice said she’s not renting again, the family is saving for a deposit for their own home.

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