PHOTO: The NZ housing crisis
What are ‘Ghost Houses’? They are unoccupied houses and they are contributing the NZ housing crisis.
A total of 196,506 homes were left unoccupied across the country at the 2018 census, according to Stats NZ. The figure includes homes with no current occupants, unoccupied properties being renovated, baches, and holiday homes. Empty new-builds and homes that aren’t up to government rental standards will also make up some of the total.
According to the last census (2018), there were more than 39,000 unoccupied dwellings in the greater Auckland area alone
- Many are holiday homes
- Most are empty properties owned by foreign investors/speculators whom have no interest in renting them out
- Some are Housing NZ properties not fit for habitation
