Caravan our cheapest home

The region's average rent was well below the national average. Northland's cheapest rental is a one-bedroom caravan available for $99 a week for medium to long-term accommodation over winter.

Situated in Houhora in the picturesque Far North, the prospective tenant is invited to join other semi-permanent residents in Wagener Holiday Park. "It's a great lifestyle for those who need a break from the stress of city living," the Trade Me property listing reads.

"Many of the folk who come and stay with us do so because renting a caravan is a great opportunity to save money and get themselves back on their feet."

Newly released Trade Me Property figures show the average weekly rent in Northland fell slightly to $292 in the April to June quarter as demand eased.

The region's average rent was well below the national average - which rose by $6 in the past year to reach $417 per week.

The thrifty Northland caravan rental includes power and boasts excellent fishing, shellfish and recreational opportunities on its back doorstep. It is described as "one of the prime sites in the whole of the Far North".

Wagener Holiday Park manager Anna Thomsen said staff had to be picky about who they let fill the caravans.

"There's other people that live here and there's lots of people coming and going. People who come have to be decent people."

Previous applicants included single mothers and sickness beneficiaries, and some tenants had even paid their way by working at the holiday park, Ms Thomsen said. However the caravans were not ideal for small children and the "old classic caravans" were cold in winter, she admitted.

Meanwhile, the region's most expensive rental property is a four-bedroom home in Whangarei's Three Mile Bush Rd listed for $800 per week.

Marketed for professionals, retired farmers, or young families, the 15-acre "stunning family retreat" is "oozing comfort, style, and design specifications not often seen". It boasts three bathrooms, triple garaging and four "generous" bedrooms.

With an average rent of $494 a week, Auckland rental properties remained the country's most expensive, followed by Canterbury at $480 and Wellington at $408.