The Reality of Auckland’s Rental Market. Rent Trends, Tenant Demand & Market Movement

Date: 30 Jun 2025

Auckland-Wide Snapshot – May 2025

The wider Auckland rental market is showing signs of balance, with slight shifts pointing to a more competitive environment for landlords. As of May 2025, the median weekly rent in Auckland is $675, down 2% year-on-year. Properties are taking an average of 22 days to rent, which is 5% slower than this time last year.

These figures suggest tenants are taking longer to make decisions, and landlords must respond with accurate pricing and appealing presentation to remain competitive. Let’s break it down, here’s a closer look at how Papakura, Pukekohe, and Manukau are performing.

Rental Price Trends – Pukekohe, Papakura & Manukau
Between November 2024 and April 2025, rents in these areas have remained consistent. Papakura and Pukekohe both held a median rent of $650 per week, ranging from $570 to $700. Manukau, in contrast, recorded a lower median of $520, with a range of $430 to $620.

In May 2025, Trade Me data shows median asking rents for all three areas at $680 per week, but with notable differences in market activity:

• Papakura: average of 30 days on the market, up 36% from last year
• Pukekohe: average of 29 days on the market, up 29% from last year
• Manukau: average of 23 days on the market, down 15% than last year

Renter Demand
Across the Auckland region 2-bedroom properties lead search activity, followed closely by 3-bedroom homes, reflecting strong interest from families and shared households.

1-bathroom homes are still the most commonly searched. However, there is growing demand for 2-bathroom properties, especially in newer developments where families prioritise convenience.

These patterns highlight where landlords should focus their marketing and renovation investments, for example, highlighting second bathrooms, functional layouts and carparking or garaging in listings can help differentiate a property. The market is experiencing a clear increase in supply, with more listings and longer time on market than the same period last year. 

This reinforces a key point for landlords. Properties must be competitively priced and well-presented to rent efficiently in the current market.

With tenant search activity softening and competition rising, aligning your rent with local medians and promoting the features that matter most, like 2–3 bedrooms, additional bathrooms, and modern layouts will help reduce vacancy times and attract strong, long-term tenants.

Rental statistics and market trends referenced in this article are sourced from Tenancy Services market rent data (Nov 2024 – Apr 2025) and Trade Me Rental Insights (May 2025).