Data · New Zealand
Median weekly rent by region, New Zealand
Weekly rent on new bonds lodged with MBIE Tenancy Services Bond Centre. Updated quarterly. Data shown is for Q1 2026.
- Last updated
- Quarter covered
- Q1 2026
Median weekly rent by region
| Region | Weekly rent (median) | New bonds | Year on year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | $695 | 9800 | +1.5% |
| Wellington | $640 | 3200 | +2.1% |
| Christchurch | $560 | 4400 | +3.8% |
| Hamilton | $575 | 1900 | +2.7% |
| Tauranga | $660 | 1100 | +1.8% |
| Dunedin | $525 | 1400 | +4.4% |
| Palmerston North | $500 | 850 | +3.2% |
| Nelson | $580 | 520 | +1.0% |
| Whangarei | $560 | 480 | +2.5% |
| Queenstown-Lakes | $770 | 410 | +5.1% |
Numbers are the geometric mean of weekly rent on new bonds lodged in the quarter, as published by MBIE Tenancy Services Bond Centre. Geometric mean (rather than arithmetic) is the MBIE standard because it dampens the effect of a small number of very high or very low bonds.
What the numbers say
Median weekly rent in Auckland was $695 for Q1 2026, a +1.5% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Wellington was $640 for Q1 2026, a +2.1% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Christchurch was $560 for Q1 2026, a +3.8% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Hamilton was $575 for Q1 2026, a +2.7% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Tauranga was $660 for Q1 2026, a +1.8% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Dunedin was $525 for Q1 2026, a +4.4% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Palmerston North was $500 for Q1 2026, a +3.2% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Nelson was $580 for Q1 2026, a +1.0% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Whangarei was $560 for Q1 2026, a +2.5% change year on year.
Median weekly rent in Queenstown-Lakes was $770 for Q1 2026, a +5.1% change year on year.
How to read this page
Every number on this page is one quarter's median, sourced from MBIE's published bond data. Median means half of new tenancies that quarter signed at or below the rent shown; half above. The bond count gives the sample size and is itself a useful indicator of rental turnover in the region.
Cite this page
RentManager NZ. (2026). NZ Rental Medians by Region (Q1 2026). Retrieved from https://rentmanager.nz/data/nz/rental-medians. Data: MBIE Tenancy Services Bond Centre.