Advertised rents were 3.1% lower overall in February this year compared to February last year, according to Trade Me Property.
The national median asking rent for rental properties advertised on the website in February this year was $620 a week. That's unchanged from January, but down 3.1% compared to February last year.
The only region where the median advertised rent in February was not lower than a year ago was Northland, where it was up 1.7%.
Across the rest of the country, the biggest decline was in Marlborough, down 5.8%, followed by Gisborne, down 4.4%, and Otago, down 3.3%. See the chart below for the full regional figures.
The most expensive median advertised rent was in Bay of Plenty at $660 a week, while the cheapest was in Southland at $480.
A notable change in the properties being advertised for rent on the website was the huge increase in the number that allow pets, following a change in the law setting out new rules for allowing pets in rental properties which came into effect at the end of last year.
"In February, a record breaking 39% of new rental listings that specified a pet policy were listed as "pets negotiable," a massive jump from just 13% in November before the law change," Trade Me Property spokesperson Casey Wylde said."
"This is the highest proportion we have ever seen and will be a huge relief for tenants who have struggled to find a home that accepts their furry family member," Wylde said.
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