Landlords across New Zealand are stepping up efforts to secure tenants as the rental market tilts further in favour of renters.

With listing volumes surging and leasing times lengthening, many property owners are resorting to new tactics to attract attention in a more crowded market.

“Renting a property is taking significantly longer than in recent years and average asking prices are dropping,” Ed McKnight (pictured left), economist at Opes Partners, told 1News.

Data from Trade Me showed that properties in South Taranaki now take 35 days to rent—23% longer than this time last year—while similar delays are seen in Stratford (33 days, up 50%), Westland (29 days, up 30%), Auckland (22 days, up 10%) and Christchurch (up 31%).

At the same time, recent CoreLogic analysis revealed it’s now cheaper to own than rent in more than 40% of New Zealand suburbs—particularly in areas such as Invercargill, Dunedin, and the West Coast, where declining house prices and easing mortgage rates have shifted the affordability balance.

Professional photos, pet-friendliness and pricing psychology

According to Propertyscouts NZ director Ryan Weir, landlords can no longer rely on just listing a property—they must now market it strategically.

“I recommend people have professional photos to make the spaces look bigger and brighter,” Weir said, noting that even smartphone images can be improved with online tools.

He also stressed the importance of photo order, suggesting that appealing areas like kitchens or outdoor spaces should appear first, while less glamorous spaces like bathrooms should be shown last.

Other tips include creating a video walkthrough, relisting stale ads to bump them back to the top of search results and adjusting price points just below psychological thresholds.

“A property at $790 a week may get more clicks than the $800 a week,” Weir told 1News………

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