Rent rates kept down

Wanganui rent prices have remained steady for a year - though some landlords are having to lower rents to get their houses occupied, a local property manager says.

Trade Me's February property index showed the median price of a Wanganui rental property was $190 a week, the same as in January and just $2.50 more than February 2014.

Action Property Management director Teena Lawrence said the demand for affordable rents had kept prices down.

"A lot of people in Wanganui can't afford more than $200 a week," she said.

"I've had a property go from $215 a week to $150 and another property go from $225 to $175.

"There's a high vacancy rate. Tenants are picky - they can't afford high rents but they don't want to have housemates and they want to be close to their kids' schools."

Most tenants also considered how comfortable properties would be in winter, she said.

"Asking about how warm and insulated a property will be happens all year around.

"At the moment, there's people wanting to make that move for winter and then, at the start of winter, there'll be another lot of people wanting to move."

Ms Lawrence expected rents to stay steady in coming months as many tenants couldn't afford to pay more.