The University of Newcastle made a record amount of offers of university places in the past two weeks to prospective students and competition for accommodation in 2012 is expected to be fierce.

Real Estate agents in the area have reported new and returning students are snapping up places fast before international students flood the market over the next two weeks.

This weekend is expected to be a bumper weekend as landlords and tenants show and rent properties.

University begins with Orientation Week on February 20 and classes resume February 27.

Newcastle’s rental property market has become increasingly tight as demand rises without rooms to match, pushing prices up.

Houses around the university are increasingly being rented out by the room.

The Newcastle Herald found one seven-bedroom property with rooms going for $125 to $150 a week each, netting the landlord up to $1050 a week.

However many such deals include bills factored into the rent.

Student accommodation specialist Reece Realty at Jesmond said agents had up to 10 groups of students at each open house.

Property manager Jess Babb said over the weekend they had students from regional areas such as Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth down checking out houses.

‘‘Start looking now because all the good stuff will go early,’’ she said.

‘‘We are seeing more demand because the university is taking more enrolments each year.

She said rents had so far remained stable, and went for about $130 a week