Rates relief for uninhabitable storm-damaged properties

Last updated: 1 July 2024

About rates relief

The extreme weather events in the first half of 2023 left many homes uninhabitable and caused financial hardship for many Aucklanders.

Some homes have lost value because of weather and storm damage. This means rates set for some properties may not reflect their current value.

We will provide rates relief for uninhabitable properties until we update property rating values for the 2025/2026 year to reflect the damage caused by the storms.

On 27 July the Governing Body agreed to provide a 100 per cent rates remission for 2023/2024 for properties that are uninhabitable as a result of recent severe weather events.

A further remission of 100 per cent in 2024/2025 will apply for properties that remain uninhabitable as of 30 June 2024.

This decision was made under the Miscellaneous Remissions Scheme in the Rates Remission and Postponement Policy.

Who is eligible for rates relief

Properties that have a red placard as of 30 June 2023 are eligible for rates relief and will receive a rates invoice showing an automatically applied credit.

You may be eligible for rates relief if no one has lived in the property since 30 June 2023 and the building:

• is in a state of disrepair or
• has insufficient or defective provisions against moisture penetration through the roof or external walls so as to cause dampness in the dwelling or
• does not have a supply of potable water that is adequate for its intended use or
• does not have sanitary facilities (no working bathroom or kitchen) that are adequate for its intended use. 

Visit Placards issued to properties after a natural disaster for information about placards.

Rates relief information that will appear on your LIM

If your property qualifies for a rates remission due to being uninhabitable as a result of recent storms, this will appear on any Land Information Memorandum (LIM) issued for your property and property file.

For more information, visit How we use your flooding and landslide information.

Check your rates account with myAUCKLAND

To see any remissions or to view your most up-to-date rates account balance, log in to your myAUCKLAND account.

How we will fund the rates relief

The rates relief aims to ensure that rates are charged fairly over the next two rating years.

We estimate this rates relief package will cost between $1.2 million and $3 million in the 2023/2024 rating year.

We will 'debt-fund' the rates relief for 2023/2024, because we cannot increase rates for all other properties when rates for this year already apply.

In the 2024/2025 rating year rates will increase by up to 0.14 per cent to fund the relief.

Other available help

We know that for many people rates payments are a major cost, even if your property is not affected by the storms.

If you have difficulties paying your property rates, visit Help for low income households and community groups.

Our credit control team can be reached on rates.collections@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to discuss what options are available and how we can help.

Find out about other Financial help for recovery from a disaster.