But yesterday real estate agents in Wodonga dismissed the data.

They said that many families and couples chose to stay in rental prop- erties as interest rates continued to climb.

The Real Estate Institute of Victoria survey, which takes its data from real estate agents who are members of its group, found in July that 6.3 per cent of residential properties in Wodonga and the Ovens and Murray area were vacant.

This figure was up 5 per cent from 1.3 per cent in June.

But in May it skyrocketed to 6.5 per cent.

Last month’s figures put the Wodonga area as the highest rental vacancy rate in Victoria.

Other areas of the state did not even reach 2 per cent.

Geelong is on a vacancy rate of 1 per cent.

Bendigo is sitting at 1.7 per cent and Ballarat is 1 per cent.

A spokesman from the institute said the figures covered 1600 rental properties in the North East, which they say is a reasonable sample.

Wodonga Real Estate property manager Lucinda Morgan said based on her experience the rate would be closer to 1 per cent.

She said that her firm only had between 15 and 20 properties available to rent out.

“People are coming in and looking for a place because they have sold their home and might be looking to downsize and rent for a few months until they work out whether they are going to buy again,” she said.

“And a lot of people might still be in the rental market while they wait and see what the interest rates are doing.

“We also get a few members from companies like Uncle Bens moving to the area and looking to rent.

“In my eight years in real estate I don’t think the rate would have ever been at 6 per cent.”

Stockdale & Leggo Wodonga principal Chris Hood agreed.

“We are screaming out for rentals,” he said.

“If someone came in to see us today we would only have three properties to rent out.”