Rental stock at ‘extreme low’ Samantha Gee

in Nelson-Tasman.

He recently rented a property to a woman who was ‘‘sick and tired’’ of high prices in Auckland and moved her whole family to Nelson.

‘‘We’ve just got more people moving here than we’re building houses. It’s not showing any signs of abating.’’

Bolitho said rental prices in the region were not ‘‘out of control’’.

Figures from Trade Me show, in June 2012, the weekly median rent across Nelson and Tasman was $327.50. It has increased to $370 per week in June 2016.

Bolitho said it was possible total rental stock in the region had increased as investors took advantage of low interest rates to expand their portfolios. However, high demand meant availability was low.

Mary Ellen O’Connor, of lobby group Voice Nelson, said, according to recent Labour Party statistics, Nelson was the third least affordable city in New Zealand.

‘‘There is a lot of talk about housing affordability and that first-home buyers are being shut out of the market.’’

She said a big percentage of people in Nelson rented homes and there needed to be better standards for rental accommodation and some genuine protection for tenants when problems arose.

A housing warrant of fitness would provide tenants with more protection.

Another issue was that the majority of rental accommodation in Nelson was private and there was very little state and council housing, she said.