New Zealand Rental Properties

In the first few months of your life in New Zealand you will very likely be living in a rental house while you get settled in and decide where you want to live permanently.

Your first few weeks in New Zealand, particularly until your belongings arrive, can often be quite unsettled. Some families rent holiday accommodation, such as a motel unit, then move to unfurnished accommodation when their furniture arrives – though even this can be a bit of a juggling act, as you are never quite sure when the container ship will arrive!

Renting a property for a few months when you emigrate to New Zealand is a great idea, but many migrants from the UK are keen to buy a house immediately and get settled in. We can certainly understand the appeal – you only have to move once, and if you owned your home in the UK it can be hard to go back to renting. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a pleasant, warm rental property in New Zealand.

But on the plus-side, renting gives you a lot more time to take a good look around and be certain about what you want from both a house and the area you live in, rather than rushing in to a house purchase with the deadline of a truck full of furniture arriving and a rapidly mounting motel bill.

Furnished or Unfurnished?

Most rental properties in NZ are let unfurnished, with just an oven, curtains and carpets. There are some properties, often inner city apartments and town houses, that are available furnished or semi-furnished, but these will often be quite expensive – and there aren’t really many of them.

It is possible to rent furniture – short-term appliance rentals are relatively common, but furniture rentals are much less so and very expensive.

Finding Rental Houses in New Zealand

You can find rental accommodation in the classifieds in daily newspapers, and through real estate agents and rental agencies, and on websites such as Trademe Property. Real estate agents and rental agencies often charge the renter a fee, usually around one week’s rent plus GST. It may help to be able to show references (from former employers or former landlords), but is often not necessary.

As in the UK, you may find it a bit harder in New Zealand to find rental accommodation when you have pets. For more information  please see our article on bringing your pet with you to NZ.

Prices and Availability of Rental Houses in New Zealand

To check prices and availability in the area you’d like to settle in, see Trademe Property. The Tenancy Agency publishes a list of average market rents by area (right down to individual suburbs in cities) at http://www.minhousing.govt.nz/market-rent.This also lists the size of the property and is updated every month.

You will probably be interested in an open or periodic rather than a fixed term tenancy – when you wish to move on you will only need to give the landlord 3 weeks notice, and they may agree to less. A landlord needs to give you at least 3 months notice if they need you to leave, unless they need the property for a family member or employee, or if they have sold the property, when they will still need to give 42 days notice.

Bonds,  Deposits and New Zealand Tenancy Law

It is normal for a landlord to ask for 2 – 4 weeks bond and 1 weeks rent in advance. The Bond is lodged with Tenancy Services, part of the Department of Building and Housing. Tenancy Services also runs an adjudication service for tenants and landlords. For details, see http://www.minhousing.govt.nz/tenancy-index. It is worth reading their summary of the Residential Tenancies Act, which covers your obligations as a tenant and your landlord’s obligations http://www.minhousing.govt.nz/residential-tenancies-act.

If you think you may be renting a house when you emigrate to New Zealand, you may also be interested in our article on Top Tips for Renting a House in New Zealand, with advice from Christchurch rental agent Caroline Register from Holmwood Property Management.