Stats NZ data today showed 15,972 houses consented in Auckland, up 16% annually.<\/p>\n
Precint Properties’ CEO Scott Pritchard is heading a multi-billion dollar Auckland apartment push. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Consents issued in Canterbury were 7721, up 16%. Waikato consents were up 4.9% to 2992, Otago had 2698, up 10%, and Wellington had 2138, up 18%.<\/p>\n
More than half of the new homes consented in the year to February were multi-unit apartments, townhouses, flats and retirement places.<\/p>\n
There were 3168 new homes consented in February alone.<\/p>\n
That was up 23% compared to last February and included:<\/p>\n
1532 standalone houses, up 29%;190 retirement village units, up 90%;141 apartments, up 28%;1305 townhouses, flats, and units, up 11%.<\/p>\n
The number of multi-unit homes consented can fluctuate from month to month, due to large projects.<\/p>\n
In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of new homes consented rose 2.7% in February compared with January.<\/p>\n
There were 36,944 new homes consented in New Zealand in the year ended January.<\/p>\n
Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod expects to see building activity gradually lifting during the course of this year.<\/p>\n
Te Reiputa, a five-block build-to-rent project on Auckland’s Mt Wellington Highway by Simplicity Living. This shows the project on September 25, 2025. Photo \/ Simplicity Living<\/p>\n
The lift lately had been encouraged by sharp falls in interest rates, he noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs well as reducing financing costs for developers, those lower borrowing costs are expected to support a lift in buyer demand over the coming year,\u201c Ranchhod told<\/a> the Herald last month.<\/p>\n The lift in consents had been centred on Auckland, which mainly relates to an increase in townhouses and other medium-density projects, he said.<\/p>\n However, few new apartment projects had been announced lately.<\/p>\n One of the busiest Auckland sectors has been build-to-rent.<\/p>\n That is dominated by Simplicity Living, which has construction of a number of sites including the $225 million Te Reiputa<\/a> on the Mt Wellington Highway.<\/p>\n Simplicity Living\u2019s build-to-rent projects<\/p>\n Remarkables Park, Queenstown<\/a>: 600-unit, $500m investment planned. 12 Lower Shotover Rd;Te Reiputa: 297 units, 222 car parks, $225m, 80 Mt Wellington Highway, nearing completion;Waiatarua: 330 units, 172 car parks, $284m, 130 Ascot Ave, ex-Ellerslie Racecourse carpark, under construction;Northcote: 93 units planned, 137 Lake Rd, started in November;Morningside: 264 units, 10 Morningside Drive, construction started in July, due for completion 2027.Planning to buy at Unitec in Waterview, Middlemore and Maungawhau on land used for the City Rail Link;Last month, announced a 1.4ha Mt Albert purchase for 203 apartments.<\/p>\n Another major developer is Precinct Properties<\/a>.<\/p>\n That company also has many sites under development.<\/p>\n Precinct apartment plans<\/p>\n 22 Stanley St, Parnell<\/a>: $290m, 960-unit student accommodation, consented, due to open 2028.256 Queen St, 680 units, student accommodation, under constructionPumanawa\/Downtown Carpark<\/a>\u00a0site: 160 units possible, not started, being designed, demolition due later this year;Mt Eden: 198-222 Dominion Rd and 113-117 Valley Rd: 135 apartments, consented, shops, offices;Fabric 2, Onehunga, due to be finished soon: 118 units.The Domain Collection, Newmarket, completion this year: 65 units.York House, Parnell, completion this year: 41 units.Pillars, 99 College Hill, St Mary\u2019s Bay: $100m scheme for 20 units, non-notified, consented.Joint venture with Orams Group<\/a>\u00a0to develop its big Wynyard Quarter site, fast-track planning sought.<\/p>\nShane Brealey and Sam Stubbs of Simplicity Living at the new Te Reiputa build-to-rent housing scheme, 80 Mt Wellington Highway. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n