National rental supply was down 7 per cent on a year ago in the September quarter, driven by significant drops in the number of properties listed in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Trade Me says.
Head of Trade Me Property, Brendon Skipper, said the fall in the number of properties listed for rent had been led by major metropolitan areas with Auckland down 13 per cent, Christchurch down 27 per cent, and Wellington down 30 per cent.
"As the rental market tightens, tenants can expect to be competing against plenty of other prospective tenants for rental homes," Skipper said.
"We've already seen this start to occur, with the number of enquiries sent to landlords via the site up 10 per cent nationwide on a year ago, and spiking more than 20 per cent in Manukau, Wellington and Christchurch."
One factor that had emerged over the quarter, alongside the decline in rental properties, was a rise in homes listed for sale, Skipper said.
