More multi‑unit consents signal sharper urban intensification ahead
New Zealand mortgage advisers head into 2026 with a larger – and more diversified – supply pipeline, as the number of new homes consented rebounded strongly over the past year, led by Auckland and the major growth regions.
Stats NZ figures show 36,619 new homes were consented in the year to December 2025, up 9% on the previous year.
“Auckland continued to account for a large share of new homes consented nationally,” economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen (pictured) said in a media release. “More than half of the annual increase came from the region.”
The figures come as the broader housing market is also entering 2026 with more stock, cautious but pre‑approved buyers, and only modest price gains expected – a “patchy but promising” backdrop that makes it even more important for advisers to know where and what is being built.
Auckland and key regions underpin the rebound
Auckland consented 15,617 new homes in the year to December, up 12% on 2024. Canterbury matched that growth rate with 7,316 consents, while Waikato recorded 3,044 (up 11%), Otago 2,630 (up 12%) and Wellington 2,171 (up 18%).
“The increase for new homes consented in Auckland in 2025 was led by Ōrākei, Maungakiekie‑Tāmaki, and Howick local boards,” Feyen said – pinpointing where new stock, and future lending and first‑home buyer activity, is likely to be concentrated.
On a per‑capita basis, Canterbury and Otago now lead. Nationally, there were 6.9 homes consented per 1,000 residents in 2025, up from 6.4 a year earlier. Canterbury and Otago each recorded just over 10 new dwellings per 1,000 residents, compared with 8.6 per 1,000 in Auckland.
Medium‑density stock reshapes the lending mix
Growth in 2025 was driven by medium‑density product rather than traditional stand‑alone houses. Across the year there were 16,139 townhouses, flats and units consented (up 14%), 2,359 apartments (up 19%) and 1,486 retirement village units (down 12%). Stand‑alone house consents rose 5.4% to 16,635.
“Over half of the new homes consented in Auckland over the year were multi‑unit dwellings, with the remainder being stand‑alone houses,” Feyen said.
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