The Hallows development on Lloyds Road and Havannah Apartments on Havannah Street have introduced dozens of new rooms for university students, easing pressure on downtown accommodation.

While local real estate agents say the days when dozens of people were applying for each rental that became available are over, demand remains strong.

Christine Curry, the accommodation manager of The Hallows and Havannah Apartments, said there had been good interest in both properties. 

She believes both The Hallows and Havannah Apartments will likely have a flow-on effect, freeing up rental properties for other renters.

She said interest in The Hallows is good, but a little slower than last year, when it was 85 per cent full. 

However, she expects that to pick up in the next two weeks. 

The Hallows has 41 rooms, some with shared facilities and some self-contained. 

Gas, water, electricity and internet are provided. The rooms are also fully furnished and cleaned once a week.

This is the third year that The Hallows has received students, while Ms Curry said this year would be the first intake of students at Havannah Apartments.

She said interest in the Havannah Apartments has been good, although not as strong as expected.

There is currently a 40 per cent occupancy. 

“They are brand new, and I expect that once the students come in, word of mouth will make a big difference,” she said.

The fully furnished apartments have a built-in wardrobe, en-suite, internet and flat screen TV on the wall. There are eight upstairs rooms and eight downstairs rooms, with a kitchen and laundry on each floor.

However, Mick Whittaker from Bathurst Real Estate is not entirely convinced the easing rental squeeze is because of the increase in dedicated university housing.

“There has definitely been an increase in student accommodation, but whether it is what uni students want is another question,” he said.

“Personally, I think students tend to lean a little towards three or four bedroom houses where they share expenses – but only time will tell.

“I think there is probably a market for both.”

Mr Whittaker said he is seeing a steady flow of uni students at the moment and expects that to continue over the next few weeks.

However, what has changed drastically is that students no longer come to town wanting old, run-down houses.

He said there appears to be a trend where students from affluent families are coming to Bathurst to study at CSU. 

“They are looking for nice places to live, so it’s important that landlords present their properties well,” he said. 

Mr Whittaker said there has been an influx of people investing in rental properties in Bathurst, which has resulted in supply and demand balancing out. 

“The way rents rose, they needed to back off a little,” Mr Whittaker said.

He predicted rents will now start to stabilise and adjust downwards by $5 or $10 a week. 

“It’s still not uncommon, though, to see better properties receive multiple applications,” Mr Whittaker said. “However, it is probably not as high as it was 12 to 18 months ago,

“Two years ago there were definitely a lot fewer properties available for rent. When 40 people want five properties, that’s when rents skyrocket.”

More dedicated student accommodation has also been created in Browning Street with 15 studio units. They are not exclusively for students, but students have been targeted because of the proximity to the university.