The majority of new renters coming to Dubbo are moving from within regional NSW, recent data shows.
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Orana's rental vacancy rate is currently at 0.7 per cent. Since June it has averaged 1.1 per cent.
But Real Estate Institute NSW - Orana Division secretary Shayna Chapman said it was a mistake to think the low vacancy rates were due to an exodus of people moving from metropolitan areas.
Figures from Bob Berry Real Estate, where Ms Chapman is a property manager, show of the 33 new tenancies between August to October, more than one third, 36.3 per cent, were from regional NSW. Another 27.2 per cent were already Dubbo residents, while 21.2 per cent were from Sydney.
Claire and Timothy Haynes have just moved to Dubbo from Broken Hill.
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Ms Haynes said her husband, who is a doctor, has a job at Dubbo Hospital in the new year. They decided to make the move a little earlier to allow their three children - Zimri, Ziggy and Ngiyani - to get settled in.
With Ms Haynes in Broken Hill, Dr Haynes in Sydney and the need for a house in Dubbo, it was a stressful scenario.
"I didn't realise when my husband accepted the job just how competitive it was for rentals and also, just how few rentals there were," Ms Haynes said.
"I would go on and have a look at all of the websites and some of the houses had had like 1000 views. That was really unsettling for me."
They started applying as soon as they could to try and find a home.
After applying and hearing nothing from the first places they tried, Ms Haynes said they finally had some success with a house that met their criteria. An inspection was done via FaceTime and their application was approved.
Dubbo is a relatively new city for the family. While they've had brief stopovers in the city, the move is definitely the start of a new adventure.
Ms Chapman said the figures showing most renters were coming from regional NSW were not surprising.
"Dubbo is a hub for many sectors of the community relocating for employment in health services, education, agricultural services and other reasons," she said.
"Job opportunities continue to attract new residents in both private and public sectors."
The property manager said in the last five months the vacancy rate across Orana was an average of 1.1 per cent, dropping from 1.8 per cent in the fist five months of the year.
"Any vacancy rate under two per cent will reflect a shortage of accommodation," Ms Chapman said.