Reports are coming in from around the country of landlords selling up their properties ahead of tougher tenancy regulations. The government is considering changes to the Residential Tenancies Act - including limiting rent rises to once a year and setting the amount of notice a landlord needs to give to terminate a tenancy to 90 days.

Trade Me Property is warning that tenants could feel the pinch this summer.

The median asking rent for properties on its site across the country is up 6.7 per cent compared to last year, at a record $480 a week.

Head of Trade Me Property Nigel Jeffries said there were some "ominous" signs for tenants ahead of the typically hectic summer rental period. "Winter rent prices remained relatively steady this year, instead of taking the dips we normally see.

"It feels like the calm before the summer rental storm, and tenants could be in for some ominous rent rises in the coming months, with tightening supply evidenced by a 6 per cent dip in the number of rentals on-site year-on-year and a number of areas experiencing lifts in demand. "Some tenants are making a move now to avoid the summer madness," he said.

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Jeffries said rents in both Wellington and Auckland had remained high, with the median rent at $480 per week and $550 per week respectively.

He said some regions had seen strong double-digit growth, with rents in Marlborough up 20 per cent to $385, West Coast up 19.1 per cent to $280, Otago up 16.9 per cent to $450, and Hawke's Bay up 16.9 per cent to $400.

MAARTEN HOLL/STUFF Tenants in the capital can now expect to pay $30 more a week in rent compared to last year.

Tenants in the capital can now expect to pay $30 more a week in rent compared to last year.

"While the median weekly rent in Wellington City has seen strong annual growth of 9.3 per cent to $530, it's the outer areas of Upper Hutt, Porirua and Kapiti Coast which show the largest annual increase," Jeffries said.

Upper Hutt had the biggest year-on-year growth of 18.6 per cent to $415, followed by Kapiti Coast, which was up 15.4 per cent to $450 and Porirua climbed 14.5 per cent to $500.

"After last summer's hectic rental market in the capital, we're seeing some signs that this summer might be much the same for Wellington tenants. The market is heating up already."

"Wellington's three most popular rentals in September were all from Lower Hutt - it's a hot favourite for tenants embracing a longer commute in exchange for cheaper rent."

A One Tree Hill property had more than 70 inquiries in its first two days on the site.

A Norton Park Avenue, Fairfield, house had 65 inquiries in its first two days on the site. One on High St, Lower Hutt, had 61.

Jeffries said the median weekly rent in Auckland remained at a record high of $550 for the sixth month in a row, up 5.8 per cent on last year.

"Auckland rentals had a 13 per cent increase in the number of inquiries in the first two days on-site compared to September 2017. The demand in the city was greatest in Manukau and Rodney, both areas reached record median rents and climbed 10 per cent to $550 and 4.7 per cent to $555 respectively. Auckland City remained at $550 for a fourth month after rising 4.8 per cent on last year," he said.

A property on Tawa Rd, One Tree Hill, had 76 inquiries in its first two days on the site.

Jeffries said Waikato was experiencing a surge of demand for rental listings, with an 80 per cent increase in the number of inquiries in the first two days on-site.

"A solid increase in demand for rentals in Waikato has pushed the median weekly rent up a solid 7.9 per cent on last year, to $410 in September."

Jeffries said this increase was driven by a 15 per cent drop in the number of listings and an accompanying 100 per cent increase demand for Hamilton rentals.

"The most popular rental property on Trade Me in September was a three-bedroom house in Hamilton which received 77 inquiries in the first two days."

The median rent in Otago was up 16.9 per cent on last September to remain at a record $450 per week for a second consecutive month.

"This increase has been driven by a strong demand for rentals in Dunedin, with a 21 per cent increase in the number of views in the first two days on-site. The median weekly rent in Dunedin was up 18.5 per cent on last year to $430 a week," Jeffries said.