People seeking rental accommodation in Lithgow are facing a problem increasingly familiar in other centres with a dwindling supply of vacancies.

And while the situation is not as bad here as in places like Bathurst local estate agents say the demand for rental properties in Lithgow has been high compared to supply in recent months.

Although the pressure has eased a little, securing a rental property that ticks all the requirements of tenants is still a challenge for most.

During the construction of the Emirates Resort in the Wolgan Valley and contract work being carried out at the Wallerawang power station rental properties were even harder to find.

Now these projects have been completed or scaled back the contract workers have moved on freeing up the rental market.

The quality of rental properties across the board in Lithgow is of a fair to good standard, with flats renting from between $105 to $270 and houses from $160 to $500.

Tina Case from The Professionals Real Estate said a cheaper property does not necessarily mean that it is in a poor or less than acceptable condition to live in.

“If a landlord is showing the property in a dishevelled condition, it will usually stay that way for the duration of the lease.”

Rental rates have risen approximately 10 per cent since this time last year, which is standard across the board.

Rental properties at LJ Hooker and Raine and Horne are about the same quantity as this time last year, while The Professionals currently have less on their books than usual.

Some landlords and real estate agents might be hesitant to take on youngsters as tenants, having been stung by reckless behaviour of young people damaging properties in the past.

But the preference against young people is usually more the fact they face heavy competition from older people with a better rental history record and a higher income.

“This makes it very difficult for people in the younger age bracket, like school leavers, to get a look-in when it comes to signing a rental lease.