Ruapehu district in the Manawatu/Whanganui region and Kawerau district in the Bay of Plenty topped the list of the districts to with the fastest rent increases. Rents in both districts rose up by 30.9 per cent in February, compared to the same period last year. Rounding out the top five fastest rent increase districts were Central Hawkes Bay district, up 29.6 per cent, Carterton in the Wellington region, up 24.7 per cent, and Kaipara district in Northland up 22.3 per cent. Patterson said many of these provincial centres offered good lifestyle propositions and were located near cities where rents were relatively more expensive to begin with.