Rents fall on Shore while inner-city prices rocket

This 7-bedroom Maraetai home is for rent for $800 to $850 a week. Photo / Supplied

As rents in most of Auckland continue to rise, two North Shore suburbs have bucked the trend with a 4 per cent fall.

Inner-city suburbs such as Grey Lynn and Epsom have risen more than 20 per cent, according to figures released last night by Crockers, but the median rent for a three-bedroom house in Takapuna and Devonport dropped 4 per cent last month compared with January last year.

The two North Shore suburbs are close to beaches, with vibrant cafe and night life and high-decile primary and secondary schools and are still within 16km of the city centre.

Geri Martin, of Bayleys in Takapuna, said some local landlords were "particularly fussy".

"Some say to me that they'd rather their property stay empty than to have someone they don't want living there."

In Takapuna/Milford the median weekly rent for a three-bedroom house fell by $20 in January to $480 compared with the same time last year, while Devonport prices dropped to $550.

Harcourts Devonport property manager Graham Ward said business was still very busy. In the six months to January 31, he had rented out 68 properties in the Devonport area.

The North Shore is not the only place where tenants can get more for their money.

In Manukau's Maraetai, a 30-minute ferry ride from the city, a seven-bedroom, three-lounge, three-bathroom house with a swimming pool and 930sq m backyard is about to go on the rental market for $800 to $850.

The Tuscan-style home is only six years old, has sea views and is a two-minute walk from Maraetai Beach.

In comparison, a split-level three-bedroom villa in Ponsonby with limited yard space is advertised at $875.

Landlord Michelle Harrison says Maraetai is perfect for busy professionals and young families wanting a beach lifestyle while still being close to the city centre. She says the ferry ride home is the perfect way to unwind.

"You definitely get more bang for your buck out here. It's great to just go there and relax and all you can hear is the birds."

Mrs Harrison said rents in sought-after inner-city areas, such as Ponsonby and Remuera, were over-priced considering what was available in more outlying suburbs that were still reasonably close to the city centre.

- Additional reporting: Vaimoana Tapaleao