New home consents are back up to 2023 levels, according to the latest figure increase issued by Stats NZ.
The annual number of new home consents continues to increase across the country, with figures up on last year everywhere except the West Coast region. There were 41,268 new homes consented in New Zealand in the year ended August 2026, up 21% compared with the year ended August 2025, according to figures released by Stats NZ.
“This is the third consecutive month in which the annual number of new homes consented has exceeded 40,000, returning to levels last seen in 2023,” economic indicators spokesperson Michelle Feyen said.
There were 19,096 stand-alone houses consented in the year ended August 2026, up 21% compared with the previous August year. The total of 22,172 multi-unit homes was up 21% over the same period. Multi-unit homes include townhouses, flats, apartments, and retirement village units.
Of the multi-unit homes consented in the year ended August 2026, compared with the year ended August 2025, there were:
18,085 townhouses, flats, and units (up 25%)
2,381 apartments (down 4.0%)
1,706 retirement village units (up 27%)
“Townhouses, flats, and units accounted for half of the annual increase in new homes consented,” Feyen said.
New home consents increase in 15 of 16 regions
The West Coast was the only region to issue fewer new home consents in the year ended August 2026, compared with the previous August year.
Auckland and Canterbury accounted for more than 70% of the national increase. Standalone houses drove the increase in Auckland, up 39%, while multi-unit homes drove the increase in Canterbury, up 44%.
The five regions with the highest number of new homes consented in the year ended August 2026, compared with the year ended August 2025, were:
Auckland with 17,264 (up 19%)
Canterbury with 8,933 (up 35%)
Waikato with 3,219 (up 14%)
Otago with 2,987 (up 21%)
Wellington with 2,356 (up 18%)
On a per capita basis, Queenstown-Lakes District had the highest number of new homes consented in the year ended August 2026, at 38.7 new homes per 1,000 residents, followed by Selwyn District at 27.6.
Nationally, 7.7 new homes were consented per 1,000 residents in the year ended August 2026.
In August 2026 itself, 3,440 new homes were consented, up 12 percent from August 2025.
Of the new homes consented in August 2026, compared with August 2025, there were:
1,704 stand-alone houses (up 14 percent)
1,455 townhouses, flats, and units (up 21 percent)
153 retirement village units (up 15 percent)
128 apartments (down 50 percent).
In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of new homes consented increased 5.6 percent in August 2026, compared with July 2026. This follows a seasonally adjusted fall of 4.5 percent in July 2026.
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