Findings from Statistics NZ's General Social Survey show a third of renters say their house is very suitable, compared to half of homeowners

A Statistics New Zealand survey shows, perhaps not surprisingly, that renters aren’t as happy with their housing as homeowners.

According to the 2018 General Social Survey 2018, one in in three New Zealand households currently rent their homes. Renters fare worse over all of the aspects of housing quality measured, reporting higher rates of cold, mould, dampness, and poorly maintained dwellings.

The survey asked New Zealanders a range of questions about their homes, along with questions on a broad range of wellbeing measures. Kiwis were asked about their satisfaction with their housing, how affordable it was, and if they faced issues such as dampness and mould. 

“Our latest data showed nine out of 10 New Zealanders were satisfied with their housing, reporting that it was very suitable (44.3%) or suitable (45%),” senior analyst Rosemary Goodyear says.

“However, only a third of renters (31.8%) thought their house was very suitable, compared to half of homeowners (50.9%).”

The survey asked people to rate their housing affordability on a scale from 0 (very unaffordable) to 10 (very affordable). They were also asked to include all housing costs such as rates, insurance, and utility bills as well as rent or mortgage payments.

“A tenth of New Zealanders rated their housing as unaffordable (0-3). This was mainly people who rented their home (14.2%), compared to owners (8%),” Goodyear says.

“Auckland was by far the most unaffordable region, with both renters and owners in Auckland more likely to report their housing costs as unaffordable (with 13.2% rating it as 0-3).” 

Renters were also more likely to report that they did not have enough money for everyday needs (16.9% compared to 6.4% of owner occupiers).

The survey also found those who rent their homes were also more mobile, with close to a third having lived in their house for less than one year.