About this programme
The private rental market is crucial for low to moderate-income households in Aotearoa New Zealand. From 1986 to 2018, rental homes owned by private investors increased by 191%. However, the total number of rental homes increased by only 53%. Affordability of rentals has also changed dramatically. In 1988, 19% of renter households spent over a third of their income on rent. By 2022, this rose to 46% of renters spending more than a third of their income on rent. Affordable private rental supply and demand in New Zealand, research led by Livingston and Associates, builds on earlier research by BRANZ and aims to analyse the private rental market’s performance since the reforms of the early 1990s. The research will assess whether rental property supply is affordable for low and moderate income households and aims to influence policy discussions.