Average rents for two-bedroom dwellings at Dubbo have soared in just 12 months at a rate "beyond the capacity" for tenants to keep up with, a long-time realtor has warned.
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Median weekly rents rose by a significant 13.6 per cent to $250 in the 12 months to December, figures published by Housing NSW show.
Dubbo's result made it the equal-most expensive in six regional NSW cities for the dwelling type, with only Bathurst matching it.
The rapid rise in the two-bedroom sector of the market at Dubbo was not found across the board.
Albury had the next highest annual change after Dubbo, with a 7.5 per cent rise taking the median rent to $215.
Wagga recorded a modest 1 per cent increase in median weekly rents, Bathurst and Tamworth experienced no change, and Orange had a 2 per cent decrease.
In the whole of NSW, median weekly rents for two-bedroom dwellings rose by 2.4 per cent.
At Dubbo the average weekly rent for a three-bedroom dwelling grew by 6.7 per cent in the same period, while the median rent for a four-bedroom property fell by 2.6 per cent.
Real estate agent Bob Berry said the Housing NSW figures showed two-bedroom dwellings were still the "pressure point" of the market.
He said for tenants on fixed incomes, whether wages or benefits, a 13.6 per cent increase in 12 months was "way beyond the capacity" to keep up with.
"You would be cheering if you're the owner of a two-bedroom property with that increase in rents," he said.
"But we must ensure as a city we can provide accommodation for the entire community in accommodation they can afford."
He said two-bedroom dwellings were sought by young, single workers moving to Dubbo for employment, pensioners and other older people who had lived in rental accommodation for a long time.
"The Orana division of the Real Estate Institute of NSW has consistently said there was a shortage of accommodation, particularly in two-bedroom dwellings," he said.
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"The latest figures show that shortage is still prevalent in the market place.
"Our increase of 13.6 per cent is so far removed from the average of the five other inland cities, and the NSW average."
Mr Berry said it seemed that the supply of rental accommodation at Dubbo was increasing and for the first time for a number of years supply was starting to meet demand and in some cases exceed demand.
But with "the exception of a small number of duplexes" there was not a noticeable increase in two-bedroom dwellings, he said.
