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Finding a new home is a great way to make friends, get greater accessibility in your day-to-day life and experience a new neighbourhood.

Renting

Renting is a great option if you’d like your own place, but are not ready or able to buy your own home. You'll be setting up your own space and can have it to yourself, or put it up on a flat-share site to build your own flatting whanau. 

Finding a rental

If you decide to rent, the first step is to find a rental that meets your needs. There are a few places you can go to find rentals in your area, these include:

You may also want to see if you can rent a property from Accessible Properties. Accessible Properties is operated by IHC New Zealand and has a small number of rentals available.

Information about affordable rentals on the Accessible Properties website (external link)

Before you search for a rental, check what the market rent is in your area to make sure the houses you’re interested in are available at a fair price.

Find out what market rent is in your area on Tenancy Services’ website (external link)

Once you’ve found a rental

Once you’ve found a rental that suits you it’s important to make sure you know your rights and responsibilities before you sign a tenancy agreement.

Tenancy Services’ website has everything you need to know before you start renting.

Go to the ‘New to renting’ section on Tenancy Services’ website (external link)

Flatting

Flatting, sharing a rental property with a group of people, is a great option. It’s cheaper than renting a place yourself, gives you the freedom of living in your own place, and can lead to lifelong friendships.

Finding a flat

There are always flats looking for new flatmates. It's a good idea to interview your flatmates before signing the dotted line. You want to make sure you have compatible lifestyles and expectations around simple things like housework or toilet routines. 

Some places to search for flats include:

Important info about flatting

Tenancy Services’ have a great page with everything you need to know before going flatting.

Information about flatting on Tenancy Services’ website (external link)

Don't like your current flat?

Situations change, your needs might change or your expectations. It's okay to let your flatmates know it's not working out and have a conversation about what to do next. 

It may be that writing a list of rules is enough or finding areas you're willing to compromise on.  Sometimes bringing in a support person or someone you both know who will be neutral, can make these conversations easier.

Or it may just feel like you're from Mars and they're from Jupiter and nothing is making it work!

You don't have to stay there. Check out your contract or have a friend read it for you, you could sub-lease your room (find someone else to take over) or let them know you'd like to leave in a few weeks time so they can have the opportunity to find a new flatmate themselves. 

Buying

If you’re done with the flatting life and would like to buy a house, there are quite a few things to consider. Settled.govt.nz is a great resource with everything you need to know when buying.

Information about buying a home on settled.govt.nz (external link)

If you are looking to buy your first home, Kāinga Ora administer several government programmes that could help you, such as the First Home Grant and First Home Partner. Visit their website for more information.

Information about home ownership support available through Kāinga Ora  (external link)

If you're thinking about building, don't forget to check out our guide to building an accessible home!

Guide to building an accessible home

Last updated on Friday, 2 August 2024

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