Our take on the latest Residential building consents (Thu 2 May 2019)
Annual dwelling consents
34,516
As of March 2019
Consents up 21%pa in the March quarter
Consents in Otago up 173%pa in March
The key numbers...
- We have previously been pessimistic in our expectations for growth in new dwelling consents, but our latest forecasts show we now expect strength in consent numbers to be sustained throughout 2019.
- Positive results for house prices outside Auckland have led us to push up our expectations for new dwelling consents.
- Continued strong growth for attached dwellings in Auckland has also helped raise our forecasts for dwelling consents.
Annual dwelling consents
...and our reaction
- March wasn't an outstanding month on its own, but it has been able to hold on to the strong growth in new dwelling consents from the first two months of the year, with total new dwellings up 21%pa in the March quarter.
- In the March quarter, Auckland lead the charge, with new dwelling consents in the region up 39%pa.
- Taking the month of March alone, Otago had a stand-out performance, due to 175 apartments being consented in Queenstown-Lakes. Residential consents across Otago were up by 215, or 173%, from a year prior, accounting for 85% of nationwide growth.
- Growth in townhouses was mild in the March quarter, up 7.4%pa. However, the Waikato region was responsible for 70% of this growth, with consents in the region up 54%pa in the quarter.
Latest updates
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Residential building consents
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40,581 Annual consents over the June 2026 year
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Wed 3 Jun 2026
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39,087 Annual consents over April 2026 year11% April 2026 consents from March on a seas. adj. basis19%pa Multi-unit consents over April 2026 yearResidential building consents
Residential consent momentum trends sideways
Fri 1 May 2026
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37,813 Annual consents over March 2026 year
3,300pm Consents trend sideways on a seas. adj. basis14%pa Townhouse consents over March 2026 year