Bruin said rent for all clients increased over the past year and this was a constant concern.
Ōmokoroa, Ōtumoetai, Mount Maunganui, Omanu, Arataki, Maungatapu, Greerton, Judea, and Pongakawa all recorded increases of higher than 5 per cent.
Bruin said people got into debt too easily and then could not pay rent.
"Then it is usually food on the table that is affected."
Tauranga Community Foodbank relief manager Brendon Collins said many people struggled to keep up with spiralling rent costs and there had been an increase in demand on its services.
"The people coming in now, it used to be just very low socio-economic people on benefits but now it's people from everywhere."
Tauranga Rentals owner Dan Lusby said the quality of houses in Merivale was not necessarily as good as in some other areas. "The likes of Maungatapu, those owners of rental properties tend to be more affluent and tend to spend the money on those properties for tenants so they ask for a bit more money." Lusby said he often encountered beneficiaries who needed somewhere to rent but baulked at moving to Merivale.
OneRoof editor Owen Vaughan said the Tauranga rents rise was fuelled by rising demand for rental properties on the back of increases in permanent and long-term migration.
"Tauranga has grown in stature and proving to be a magnet for investment and business activity. This, and a surge in first-home buyer activity has put upward pressure on some areas in the rental market," Vaughan said.
"Strong value gains across the city will have also had an influence. Tauranga, like Auckland, is an attractive market for property investors with capital in the bank."
Eves and Bayleys Real Estate (Realty Group) chief executive Simon Anderson said there was a shortage of rental properties on the market despite a continued demand.
"Those who have a good rental don't want to lose it," he said.
To find out how your suburb compares, look online here: https://insights.nzherald.co.nz/article/rental-bonds-2018Q2/.
