Hamilton’s growth continues to buck national trends

Data from realestate.co.nz showed last month that the number of rental listings had increased by 40% nationwide. Hamilton, in comparison, showed only a 10.3% increase in listings in the three months up to May. Compare that with the other main centres, with Auckland up 40%, Wellington up 56%, and Canterbury 35% over the last quarter, and you can get a sense of Hamilton’s strong rental economy and the value investors are continuing to see in the region.

Sales activity across New Zealand has shown an annual increase of 9.2% as of May, and though this is still below normal sales volumes, this is giving buyers, including investors, room to negotiate and secure lower prices, partially explaining the increase in rental listings across the board.

We are hearing in our neighbouring regions that it’s becoming harder to secure quality tenants due to the increase in rental choices available, however I can tell you we are not experiencing this at Lodge City Rentals, further proof that our rental market shows no signs of slowing down.

More welcome news for investors and Hamiltonians alike are the number of new developments that have been green lit lately.

Hamilton’s tallest building, the Mistry Centre, is set to be transformed into a $100m, 191-room Pullman Hotel, with work already underway retrofitting the Ward St address, and set to have its grand opening in 2026.

Tainui Group Holdings has been granted resource consent to build a 20,000m2 development next to Centre Place, at the corner of Ward and Victoria streets. Previously a vacant lot, the building will feature retail and office space, and, like the hotel development, will contribute significantly to the buzz of the CBD.

These are of course in addition to many other developments already underway, including the regional theatre and new apartment blocks at One Cook St and Anzac Parade.

And finally, my regular reminder about Healthy Homes is that the deadline is now only a year away – July 2025. You’ve heard from me about it in multiple issues, so my advice now is to just get on to it if you haven’t already. A year will truly fly by, and you won’t want to get caught short on tradie availability. 

At Lodge we’re working with the last handful of our landlords who are working to meet the deadline, so if you need any help in this area, just give us a bell.