According to Tenancy Services, the median market rent for a three-bedroom house in Queenstown is $825 per week.
That meant a four-week bond amounted to $3300, or $1100 per person, assuming each bedroom had just one tenant.
There are calls from some quarters for staged bond payments to be considered by landlords or property managers, enabling tenants to pay the sum off over a defined period.
A Tenancy Services spokesman said that was an option, because bonds did not need to be lodged and paid in full immediately.
And while there was also no time limit for the total bond amount to be received, that had to be agreed by the parties involved.
But Queenstown property management and real estate experts said while finding money for bonds could be hard on a tenant, the traditional bond process provided the best security for owners.
One property manager, who did not want to be named, said most in the industry wanted to work collaboratively with tenants, but needed to prioritise risk management in case of damage.
They said that if a third party business or organisation was willing to cover bonds on behalf of the tenant, with "staged payments" handled externally, many would be happy to make that work.
