RENT STATISTICS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 40, 16 August 1921, Page 7

RENT STATISTICS

£ ■ -^— HOW THEY ARE COMPILED In the coarse of a reply to criticism of the j-ent figures included in the cost-of-living tables, the Government Statistician (Mr. Malcolm Fraser) has explained how these figures are obtained. They are compiled to show the average rent _ ruling in the chief towns of the Dominion. "> "Information regarding rents is obtained from returns furnished by land agents and private persons receiving rents in the chief towns. These returns show in each case the number of three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine roomed houses let by the person furnishing the return, and the total weekly rental received for each class of dwelling. Unfurnished houses alone are included in these statements. No attempt is made to. collect figures for furnishing houses." Takirig the 'figures for .August, 192Qj "52 returns were received from Auckland, 41 from Wellington, 46 from Christchurch,. and 21 from Dunedin. Obviously there are a great number of persons letting houses in , these towns who were not askerl' to furnish returns, but all persons letting a number of houses have been required to furnish returns. The actual number of four, five, and sis roomed houses in the four centres, the" rents of which were obtained in August, 1920, was:— Four Five Six ' rooms, rooms'? rooms. Auckland' 569 509 .' 571 Wellington .'.> 596 517 : 440 /Christchurch ... 464 432 237 Dunedin 224 256 136 "The figures published by this office were obtained by averaging the rents received in the number of cases shown for each class of dwelling in each of the four centres. For four and five-roomed houses they 'were as follow:— .*■ ■ . Four Five rooms. rooms. Auckland 13 8 18 i Wellington 14 6 18 7 . Christchurch ... 11 8 15 11 Dunedin 11 \8 14 6 "It was obviously impossible to obtain figures as to the rents of every house let in each of the four centres, but, as can be seen, a considerable number of cases were included in l computing the figures. It is considered that the results thus obtained should give a fairly accurate idea of the average rents ruling in the towns to which reference is made. The fairly low figures given is accounted for by the fact that many of'the houses the rents of which have been ascertained have not been re-let for a considerable time.. In these cases the houses if vacated-would probably be re-let at a figure somewhat higher than that shown. "We take as big a sample of actual rents paid as we can; and the only alternative to doing that would be the obviously less satisfactory one of accepting mere opinions from persons engaged in the house-letting business. Expert opinions are liable to very-curious variations when they are asked at long intervals as six or twelve months."