UPDATED 9.50am:Â Higher house prices and council rates are pushing up the price of renting in Auckland, leading to families migrating further south in search of affordable living.
Data from Trade Me Property shows rental prices have increased about nine percent in the past 12 months, and Mangere Budgeting Services CEO Darryl Evans told Tim Dower those who move south do so at a cost.
"The reality is they lose their social support - their families live locally, the kids are secure in their local school and the additional cost of having to relocate impacts greatly."
Mr Evans says a lack of public transport for commuters creates additional costs for running vehicles and involves extra travel time on clogged motorways.
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The average rental price has surpassed $500 a week for the first time and Trade Me Property's Nigel Jeffries said rents will continue to rise because there aren't enough rentals to go around.
"There's obviously more people coming into the city looking for accommodation, the supply of rental properties doesn't get increased easily, so there's always a bit of lag there."
Prices are expected to rise even further over the next few weeks and Mr Jeffries said that's partly because more workers and students are looking for homes.
"Particularly this time of year, we're starting to see students coming back after a little bit of a break, you tend to see lines outside rental homes during the late January - February timeframe."
Barfoot and Thompson director Kiri Barfoot says tenants need to be prepared with good references and proof of income at the ready.
She told Time Dower the age-old adage is true - first impressions count.
"If you meet the landlord or the property manager and your car's full of takeaway wrappers and you look like you haven't stopped partying from the night before, and you don't take your shoes off when you go into the property then that's certainly not going to help you," she says.
Mr Evans says under the Residential Tenancy Act there's no limit to how much a landlord can increase rent by and told Tim Dower he would like to see the rental system become more like commercial leases.
He says most leased properties have rent increases every three years and renters should be able to have a breather of at least 12 months, knowing their rent is stable during that time.
According to Mr Evans, Auckland renters are fighting to keep their heads above water and families are struggling to put food on the table because every time there's a rent increase - it impacts the groceries.
Speaking to Tim Dower, he said said tenants who pay 25 percent of their weekly income in rent are able to read water but many people are forced to pay up to 65 percent and drown quickly.
"I can honestly say the number of families that we see that are literally two or three weeks away from losing their home because of rental arrears all because the families simply can't afford to sustain these houses long term."
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