Renters face frantic contest

Kevin Avdic and Julie Bradley are happy that they have finally found a rental property in Auckland after much searching. Photo / Doug Sherring

Frantic families and couples are struggling to find rental homes in Auckland's crowded market during what should be a quiet time of year.

Letting agents expect activity to get even more furious in the run-up to Christmas and are already complaining they cannot fill demand.

"You feel for people when they are competing with sometimes dozens of others at viewings," said Susan Wendell, owner of Wendell Property Management in Sandringham.

"We recently rented a basic, three-bedroom house in St Lukes for $380 a week and, during the five hours it was listed on Trade Me, 362 people viewed it online, 10 came through the door and five applications were received," she said.

"December used to be a slow month and bargains could be had - but not any more."

Lab technician Kevin Avdic, 39, moved to Auckland from Ohope, Bay of Plenty, two weeks ago after his physiotherapist wife, Julie Bradley, 36, landed a job at Starship Hospital.

He said they made several three-day trips north to secure a rental.

The couple moved into a smart, two-bedroom apartment in Eden Terrace for $525 a week - much more than they had budgeted for.

"It is madness out there and folk will pay top dollar for properties that aren't in a great condition, so we are lucky," said Avdic.

Latest figures from the Department of Building and Housing showed last month the number of rental bonds lodged in Auckland stood at 151,000, compared with 32,000 in Wellington and 43,000 in Christchurch.

But tenants signing leases of up to 30 months, an influx of people to the city after the Christchurch earthquakes and some Aucklanders seeking temporary accommodation while getting their leaky homes fixed have added to renters' woes.

"We can have more than 20 people at a time turning up to view some open homes," said Sera Frearson, property manager at Harcourts in Browns Bay.

"It's a pretty desperate situation for a lot of families and I can't see it easing."

The renting problem has been an issue for much of the year, but it hasn't got better, as some predicted.

Cameron Brewer, chairman of Auckland Council's Planning and Urban Design Forum, said it was estimated the city may need 400,000 new residential dwellings by 2040 if past growth rates continued.