In brief
New Zealand's housing consents rose by 18% to 41,091 homes in the year to September 2026, setting a four‑year high. Stand‑alone houses grew 20% to 19,228, while multi‑unit developments increased 16%. Auckland led the jump, approving 6,426 new houses – a 36% rise – though recent monthly data suggests momentum may be slowing. Commercial building consents remain in decline, and the apex of the consent wave could have already peaked.
New Zealand approved a record 41,091 new homes in the year to September, an 18% rise from the previous year, according to Stats NZ. The jump marks the highest annual housing consent count in four years.
Stand‑alone houses saw the biggest lift, with 19,228 consents – a 20% increase that adds more than 3,200 new homes over last year’s tally.
Multi‑unit developments accounted for the remaining 21,863 consents, up 16% year‑on‑year. That group includes townhouses, apartments and other clustered dwellings.
Auckland supplied almost half of the national rise, approving 6,426 stand‑alone houses – a 36% jump that is more than 1,700 higher than the preceding year.
When the data is broken down monthly, September’s 3,570 consents were down 4.7% from a year earlier and 7.9% lower than August on a seasonally adjusted basis.
B2B News notes that the 18% headline may mask underlying weakness: monthly figures have been trending lower from July to September, and apartments fell 10.7% in the year, suggesting the consent wave may already have peaked.
Commercial building consents continue to slip, with offices, warehouses and retail projects showing a straight decline. Additionally, the traditional rule that most consents become dwellings is in doubt, according to recent industry analysis.