Monthly rental market update: Average rent for typical Auckland home tips over $700 per week

Auckland's rental market held to its recent pattern of flat pricing in November, with the region's average weekly rent sitting just $1.28, or 0.2%, higher than a month ago, and $6.13, or 0.9%, higher than a year ago.

However, three‑bedroom homes saw stronger movement than the overall market, with the average weekly rent rising $9.45, or 1.4% year‑on‑year, and surpassing $700 per week for the first time.

"Three‑bedroom homes make up the bulk of the Auckland rental market, being nearly 40% of the 17,500 plus rental properties we manage across the region," says Anil Anna, General Manager of Property Management at Barfoot & Thompson. "They are very much a benchmark for the 'typical' Auckland rental home and can provide insight into wider market trends."

He says that while there is a lot of variation in three‑bedroom homes across the city, from standalone properties to units and apartments, it's clear that demand for them remains firm. "The appeal is very broad, offering enough space for many families, for groups renting together, or for singles and couples who want a bit more room for their work or hobbies."

"Increasingly, three‑bedroom homes are also being seen as a more budget‑friendly option by households who may previously have stretched to a four‑ or five‑bedroom property, but are now looking to manage housing costs down."

He said property managers were reporting more renters choosing smaller homes to reduce their future rent commitments, as well as renters seeking adjustments to their existing tenancy agreements to allow for more tenants to occupy bedrooms that may have been used as a work or extra living space previously.

Where three‑bedroom homes cost the least, and the most

The most affordable area for a three‑bedroom home was Franklin and Rural Manukau, averaging $599.29 per week, followed by West Auckland at $648.58. Three‑bedroom properties also continued to sit under the $700 threshold in South Auckland ($653.15), Rodney ($682.28), and Pakuranga/Howick ($691.98).

At the other end of the spectrum, Central Auckland remained the region's most expensive, averaging $983.29 per week, with Anil noting these properties included large and high‑end apartments.

Largest homes see the least price change

While some property managers were also reporting increasing demand for four‑bedroom properties, which saw an average rent rise of 1.2% year‑on‑year in November, five‑bedroom and larger homes saw the smallest change, with less than $1 difference between November 2024 and November 2025.

"These homes are already at the upper end of the price scale, and demand patterns tend to be more stable," says Anil.

Activity softens month‑to‑month but outpaces last year

Key measures of rental market activity dipped slightly from recent months, but remained well ahead of last year's more subdued pace.

Enquiries totalled 23,644 in November, down 6.5% from October but nearly 20% higher than November 2024. More than 7,900 groups viewed rental properties during the month, up 10.4% year‑on‑year, and just under 3,000 tenancy applications were received, 6.5% more than a year ago.

There were also more homes for rent at the end of the month, 8.6% above the average of the previous three months, a lift that Anil says could be attributed to the usual seasonal lift in tenants choosing to conclude their tenancies at the end of the calendar year.