By RNZ

A rise in the number of townhouses and other multi-residential dwellings is driving the increase in consents for new homes, according to Stats NZ.

Figures just released show there were 50,209 new homes consented in the year ended November 2022, up 3.2 per cent compared with the year before.

Consents for multi-unit homes rose 24 per cent, hitting new annual records for townhouses, flats, units and retirement village units.

However, property statistics and construction manager Michael Heslop said the number of consents for stand-alone houses fell 15 per cent over the same period, to 21,845.

“The annual number of multi-unit homes consented surpassed stand-alone houses in March 2022 and continues to drive the overall increase in the number of new homes consented,” Heslop said.

“Over the past five years, the number of townhouses, flats, and units consented has more than tripled, growing from 6370 in the year ended November 2018 to 21,064 in the year ended November 2022,” he said.

Over the past five years, the number of townhouses, flats, and units consented has more than tripled. Photo / Supplied

“This increase was dominated by the Auckland region, which consented more townhouses, flats and units than the rest of the country combined over this period.”

Of the multi-unit homes consented in the year ended November 2022, there were:

• 21,064 townhouses, flats, and units (up 32 per cent, compared with the year ended November 2021)
• 4325 apartments (up 2 per cent)
• 2975 retirement village units (up 7.6 per cent).

The regions with the highest number of new homes consented in the year ended November 2022 were:

• Auckland with 21,733 (up 6.6 per cent, compared with the year ended November 2021)
• Canterbury with 8873 (up 18 per cent)
• Waikato with 4828 (down 6.6 per cent)
• Wellington with 3805 (up 4.7 per cent).

Canterbury, Northland and Tasman recorded new annual records in the number of new homes consented.