Kiwis out to buy their first home may soon find that process a lot harder.

Under the Reserve Bank's proposed new debt-to-income lending rules, it has been estimated an Auckland family would need $172,000 a year to buy an average-priced home.

These rules could come into effect by June 2024, in order to stop first home buyers and owner occupiers borrowing more than six times their annual income.

CoreLogic economist Kelvin Davidson says these changes could have a positive impact in the long run and tie house prices closer to incomes.

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