Rents up nearly 5 percent this year - report - a podcast by RNZ

Nationally, rents have increased by 4.8  percent this year.
Southland and the West Coast are the best place to be a renter  for now - if you can find a house to rent that is.
New research finds rent is more favourable in these two regions - relative to incomes.
But don't get your bags packed yet, despite being more affordable than the national average, Southland has still gone up -15 percent, in the last year. 
According to the Massey University research everywhere in New Zealand is getting more expensive to rent. 
Marlborough, Bay of Plenty,  Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Tasman and Northland are the least affordable.
One of the report's co-authors, Professor Graham Squires, spoke to Corin Dann.

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