New housing density standards come into effect on August 18, 2022, which will enable more homes to be built across the Auckland region.
The new rules, the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS), require high-growth councils across New Zealand to ease their planning restrictions for what can be built without a resource consent by implementing the new standards that enable (but not require) greater housing density.
For many Auckland property owners, this means they will be free to build up to three homes of up to three storeys on their site, provided they comply with all other development rules and standards and are not subject to a qualifying matter, or exemption, to limit building heights and density in some areas.
The new density standards:
|
Maximum number of residential units per site |
3 |
|
Maximum building height |
11m + 1m for pitched roof |
|
Maximum height in relation to boundary |
4m + 60° recession plane |
|
Minimum setbacks |
Front yard: 1.5m |
|
Maximum building coverage |
50% of the net site area |
|
Minimum outdoor living space (one per unit) |
Ground floor: 20m2, 3m dimension Above ground floor: 8m2, 1.8m dimension |
|
Minimum outlook space |
Principal living room: 4m depth, 4m width All other habitable rooms: 1m depth, 1m width |
|
Minimum windows to street |
20% glazing of the street-facing façade |
|
Minimum landscaped area |
20% of the developed site with grass or plants |
For more information, please visit the Auckland Design Manual for the Practice and Guidance Note on Plan Change 78
