Higher council rates and costs of living are prompting some Auckland female over-50s to go back to the days of flatting.

Residential rates are set to rise, because residential values are increasing more than twice as fast as commercial properties.

Prue Lowen from flat-matching website Someone Like Me says flatting can make sense.

She says it's not getting any cheaper to live in Auckland, and women who live alone can rent out a room to another woman, to save money.

Prue Lowen says older women without partners are becoming more open to the idea of flatting.