Rising fuel costs may be driving the appeal of living closer to Auckland's central business district, according to Crockers Research.

Rental levels in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere have risen sharply over the past 12 months, and Remuera is also showing early stages of a similar surge - for two-bedroom properties.

This doesn't apply to the three-bedroom market, with Ponsonby rentals falling back and both Remuera and City Bays showing recent declines for three-bedroom properties.