RENT PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 230, 27 September 1911, Page 9

RENT PROBLEM.

THROUGHOUT THE DOMINION.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES.

HOW AUCKLAND OQIPAKES.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

The rent, question is always au interesting one to the city dweller, and much is continually being said about the comparative rent rate in the various centres of the Dominion. It will, therfore, be of more than passing interest to compare some of the rent, figures as disclosed in a table prepared as a result of tho taking of the census last April. This table reveals.jsome peculiar and arresting comparisons. Iu the three Auckland City electoral districts,for instance, the average rent shows some peculiar features, not the least of which is that for, houses having up to seven rooms, the rent is considerably greater in City West than in either the Central or East City electorates. .The comparisons run as follows: —One room in City Last, 5/4.25; Central, 2/6; West, 7/7.20. Two rooms: City, 6/9.75: Central, 6/7.22; City West, S/11.52. Three rooms: City East, 8/2.82; Central, 8/4.56; Wesjt, 9/1.98. Four rooms: City East, 10/8.85; Contral, 10/4.67; West 11/8.45. The comparative rents for seven-roomed houses are: East 18/9.88; Central, 17/2; West, 19/9.71. For houses over eight rooms, City East takes the lead, the average rent for a ten-roomed house being £1 14/4.30 iu City East, £1 19/3 in City Central; and £1 5/10 in City West.

In the suburban rents we see that at Devonport four rooms average 11/9.15; Grey Lynn, 11/6.29; Newmarket, 10/7.33; Mount Eden, 11/11.91; Mount Albert, 12/4.31; Parnell, 10/11.72'; Onehunga, 8/11.28. Six rooms cost at Devonport 17/5.76; Grey Lynn, 16/8.74; Newmarket, 10/5.74; Mount Eden, 17/4.79; Mount Albert, 16/1.64; Parnell, 15/7.20; and Ohchitnga, 12/2.89. .Eight rooms cost £1 1/3.47 at Devonport, 19/10 at Grey Lynn, £ 1 1/5.25 at Newmarket, £1 1/10.92 at Mt. Eden, £1 2/0.92 at Mount Albert, £1 3/4.90 at Parnell, and 16/2.92 at Onehunga. Comparing the average rtnfe of houses in the large centres, we find in Auckland one room costs 6/, in. Wellington 6/3.05, Christ church 4/4.50, Dunedin only • 3/5.97. A four-roamed cottage in Auckland averages 10/9.94; in Welling-, ton, 14/4.26; Christcliurch, 10/5.97; and Dunedin, 10/6.01. A six-roomed house in Auckland averages in rent 16/2.80; Wellington £1 0/11.55; Gkristchurcb, 15/5.22, and Dunedin 15/11.21. An eight-roomed house in Au'ckland will average £1 2/4.05; in Wellington, £1 9/3.96; Christcliurch, £1 0/8.82, and Dunedin £1 4/0.22. For a tenroomed house in Auckland the rent averages £1 11/10.32; Wellington. £1 19/5.10; Christchurcli, £1 6/6.75; and Dunedin, £1 7/8.87. It will 'thus be seen that the Wellington rents -have th<> distinction of being nearly 50 per cent higher for four-roomed cottages than the northernmost city, and from I>s to 35 per cent higher in regard to the larger houses, while rents in the southern cities are much the same as those ruling in Auckland for houses up to about six rooms, after which there is a considerable variety. Generally speaking.' with the exception of one, two, and three-roomed places, which can be obtained more cheaply in Dunedin than in any of the other large centres, the average rents of Christcliurch stand lowest among the four cities.