Finding a rental property may just have become a little easier. Picture: Thinkstock.

Nationally the vacancy rate is now 2.3 per cent based on 70,827 vacancies according to SQM Research.

Vacancies increased in most capital cities, except for Sydney and Canberra where they fell.

In Darwin and Perth the number of vacant rental properties continued to “soar’’ with vacancies up 64 per cent in Perth and 75 per cent in Darwin in the past 12 months - although both capital cities have a low rental pool.

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On a yearly basis the market tightened up in Hobart and Melbourne a little.

With the substantial increase in rental properties in Darwin has come a substantial drop in asking rents of 20.5 per cent for houses and 12.9 per cent for units.

Hobart had the cheapest housing rents in Australia with an average of $330 a week even though its rents went up 4.7 per cent got houses and 11.1 per cent for units.

Other capital cities only had fairly moderate rental increases.

Adelaide had the cheapest average unit rental of $279 a week, while Sydney had the most expensive house rents of $704 a week and units at $489 a week.

SQM Research managing director Louis Christopher said the figures showed how dramatically some capital cities had been affected by the mining downturn.

“Clearly, not everywhere has been affected, but those cities and townships that do have exposure have been hit hard.”