New Zealanders' attitudes to apartment living could be about to change.

The days of families buying their first home out in the suburbs could soon be a thing of the past.

From today, Westpac will allow some first-home buyers to purchase apartments with a 15 percent deposit rather than the 20 percent minimum currently required.

Mortgage adviser Bruce Patten from Loan Market reports it's likely other banks will roll out similar policies.

"Instead of going for a unit in a suburb, we'll see more first home buyers going for these apartments as their first option."

Patten believes the move will make apartments much more appealing for first home buyers.

"They'll halt more value on apartments and that will become the opportunity to get themselves started on the housing market."

Patten says the change will make it easier for people relying on KiwiSaver to make their deposits.

Meanwhile the government's being urged to tweak immigration rules to dampen down the Auckland housing market.

The latest Housing and Construction Quarterly shows Auckland house prices are rising faster than Australia, even outpacing major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

Labour leader Andrew Little argues urgent action is needed.

"The Government could use its point system to see migrants coming into the country actually settling in places other than Auckland. I don't think it's too difficult to do."