Focus area 2: Increase security of tenure and broaden the range of tenure models, particularly for those most in need

​Tenure broadly describes the legal and financial arrangements that give someone the right to live in a home.

Security of tenure is crucial to people's wellbeing as it provides them with stability and continuity. Households that have a reasonable level of control and certainty over their living arrangements are better able to plan for their future.

The tenancy types most common in Auckland are owner-occupier and renting from a landlord. The landlord might be a private individual, a non-governmental organisation such as a community housing association, or local or central government. (Read more about renting in Auckland.)

​How this can be done

Therefore, we have to explore new and different ways to buy, rent and manage our housing.

This can include:

• cooperative and collective ownership models
• rent-to-buy models
• encouraging long-term institutional landlords.

Read more about mixed tenure housing.

Body corporates govern many aspects of living in multi-unit developments. It will be increasingly important that body corporates are managed well.

A 2022 amendment to unit titles legislation aims to strengthen the governance and standards of body corporates and ensures that prospective buyers are provided good information to understand their rights and responsibilities when buying into a body corporate.

The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 provides greater focus on improving stability and security of tenure for households that rent. Despite this, households that rent still have few legal protections and are subject to power imbalances that limit their ability to plan for financial expenses.

Rent increases in New Zealand are unregulated aside from a frequency limit of once every 12 months. In contrast, many mortgages may be fixed for two to five years, at the discretion of owners.

Related information

• Homelessness in Auckland
• Healthy homes
• Household crowding
• The housing continuum
• Mixed tenure housing
• Renting in Auckland.