Cup homes hit $20,000 per week

One of the homes listed on luxuryrentals2001.co.nz. Photo / Supplied

Foreign rugby fans are paying up to $20,000 a week to rent Auckland homes for next year's World Cup - but officials have warned homeowners against being opportunists.

Luxury homes in Remuera, Parnell, Herne Bay and St Marys Bay are being advertised on luxuryrentals2011.co.nz for $20,000, with add-ons that include daily or weekly housekeeping, childcare services and pantry stocking.

The administrators of several websites advertising properties for the tournament are noticing a surge in interest, with those renting out homes beginning to offer add-ons that include rides to and from airports and games and tickets to some matches.

While some asking prices seem extravagant, Rugby World Cup 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden has warned that anyone trying to take advantage of the situation is likely to be weeded out within months.

"There's a number of opportunists at this stage and my view is that they'll get sorted out by the market. People are not going to pay outrageous prices. They'll just wait and the prices will come down."

The exact number of hotel rooms and rental properties on offer is difficult to estimate because they are spread over a number of websites, but Mr Snedden said plans were in place to streamline them through one "portal" on the RWC site so travellers could access all accommodation types in one place.

The portal would be ready for use by September 1, when the uptake of rooms on hold within the official accommodation bank would be revealed.

Any not booked then will be released back to hotel operators.

Mr Snedden said he supported the luxuryrentals2011.co.nz concept.

"They've got the right idea," he said. "They spend a lot of time conditioning the actual clients first to not be stupid and to get themselves in the right space so that when they actually go on the market with their homes, they've actually got a much better chance, rather than having their head in the stars."

The website's director, Kerrin Parton, said some $20,000-a-week homes had already been rented out.

"We've done a handful. I think we've done three or four at this stage. We've got from about $2000 a week through to above $20 [thousand].

"We're planning to do a full concierge service as well for our guests, from housekeeping to childcare to pantry provisioning ... You can have a full pantry. Our concept is to showcase the best food and wine that New Zealand has to offer so it will all be stocked with gourmet foods from around the country as well as meats, fruit and vegetables at that high end.

"It's all about New Zealand as far as we're concerned - that's the experience we want to give our clients."

Ms Parton said the website, which has listed about 50 Auckland properties, had been running for a year but interest from prospective tenants was increasing, especially since tickets started going on sale.

"I think there's a lot more interest since then and things are certainly picking up.

"We're hearing that some of the hotels in Auckland are charging upwards from $1500, $2000 a night for those last 10 days ... for a room that can accommodate two, so if you're getting a house that can sleep 12 for the same money as 10 days at the Hilton, it's a pretty good option."

As of last week, the official accommodation bank had received about $67 million in confirmed bookings for a total of between 120,000 and 130,000 room nights.

However, several websites contacted by the Herald, including stay2011.com, stayinnz.com and gorugbyhomes.co.nz, noted that most prices were based on $100 a person a night.