Rent hikes hitting new tenants and battlers the hardest

Rent hikes are hitting new tenants the hardest with inner-city rentals recovering from the pandemic. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

High-end rentals have surged the most during the pandemic recovery but rate increases at the lower end of the market are hitting battlers harder.

The most expensive 10 per cent of rentals have soared by 10 per cent in the year to February compared to seven per cent for the cheapest 10 per cent of properties, new Australian Bureau of Statistics figure reveal.