Your rates – frequently asked questions

Your rates help deliver a wide range of day-to-day activities and services, and support investment in Auckland’s assets.

For 2024/2025, Auckland has some of the lowest rates rises in the country, at 6.8 per cent for the average value residential property. 

We are working hard to keep your rates down by carefully balancing the need to strengthen the financial and physical resilience of Auckland, while investing where it is needed most to manage growth. We are doing this in a way that recognises cost of living concerns and provides the greatest benefit to our communities.

About rates

What are rates for?

Rates help maintain and enhance the infrastructure, parks, facilities, activities and services that make Tāmaki Makaurau a great place to live. 

Council’s assets such as parks, roads, libraries, community centres, and other public facilities provide value to the community and enhance our quality of life. Auckland Council acts as a responsible steward of community assets, ensuring they are well-maintained and utilised efficiently.

How are rates calculated?

Rates are how we share the cost of council services across the region, between property owners.

​Your rates charge will depend on where in Auckland you live, your property’s valuation and any rates increase by the council. Every property owner receives a Uniform Annual General Charge (fixed amount), general rates and targeted rates, for specific local services they fund.

Find out more about How your property rates bill is made up.

Understanding your rates

How have rates changed for 2024/2025?

Our Long-term Plan 2024-2034 includes a total rates increase for the average-value residential property of around 6.8 per cent or $245.48 a year ($4.72 a week) in 2024/2025.

There will also be a total rates increase of about 8.39 per cent for the average-value business property in 2024/2025. There are additional changes to some targeted rates and a move to rates-funded rubbish collection in some areas.

Find out more about Changes to your property rates for the 2024/2025 rating year (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

What is a general rate vs a targeted rate?

Your property rates bill consists of three parts: a Uniform Annual General Charge (fixed charge), a general rate and targeted rates. To understand more about how general rates and targeted rates work, find out more about How your property rates bill is made up (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

Assistance is available for paying rates

What options for financial assistance are available?

We know the cost of living has increased for Auckland households and rates bills might have become more difficult to manage, for many. 

Anyone concerned about paying their rates is encouraged to get in touch as we have a range of assistance available. These include:

• a government-funded rates rebate scheme

• a rates postponement scheme for residential properties

• flexible payment options, such as direct debits offering weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, and annual payment.

Information on the options can be found on the Auckland Council website and our rates invoices also detail the support available. We encourage ratepayers to consider the options.

If these options are not available to you, contact us on 09 301 0101 and ask to speak with our credit control team, to discuss an arrangement to pay all outstanding property rates.

What do rates contribute to?

What do my rates pay for?

Your rates help deliver a better Auckland – keeping the region running and delivering attractions in our communities and city centre.

We’ve been planning for the region’s growth and have just completed our Long-term Plan 2024-2034, which sets out how Auckland Council will use your rates to improve the daily lives of Aucklanders. Read more about it here.

There is extensive investment into capital projects across the region – physical and financial resilience is a priority, making the most of what we have and investing where it is needed most.

We have seven key service areas being funded, following public feedback and adoption of the Long-term Plan 2024-2034. Rates contribute to the priorities – transport, stormwater, built environment, natural environment, community, economic and cultural development, and well-managed local government.

Your rates enable community services and activities, and support a beautiful, thriving Auckland. This includes improving public transport, maintaining parks, local and regional events, environmental care, rubbish collection and community facilities.

For any given year, council prepares an Annual Report where you can see exactly where the money was spent as well as the services provided for that. 

How can I have a say in what my rates fund?

We ask for Aucklanders’ feedback on the proposed spending for the region and for their local board areas through our Long-term Plan (LTP) and Annual Budget consultations, each February. 

Nearly 28,000 Aucklanders gave their feedback on Auckland Council’s proposed Long-term Plan 2024-2034 – the most feedback received for any LTP consultation by the council. 

Why pay rates

Why do I have to pay rates?

Councils operate under the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 which legislates for rates to help pay for the work we do on your behalf, keeping the region running and delivering attractions in our communities and city centre.

Aucklanders share access to all the services the council provides across Tāmaki Makaurau. Rates are not calculated by individual service, nor are they a fee for service. They fund all council activities not fully funded by other funding sources, like fees and charges or central government funding.  

Individual ratepayers might not use every council asset or service either by choice or other circumstances. However, the principle is that they are made available across the region and they help create an Auckland that is beautiful, thriving and safe for all Aucklanders.

Rates changes

Why have my rates increased more than the advertised average of 6.8%?

The 6.8 per cent (or $245.48 a year) rates increase is for the average value residential property in 2024/25. There will also be a total rates increase of about 8.39 per cent for the average value business property in 2024/2025.

If your property’s value is above the average, it is very likely that your rates increase will be higher than the average increase. In most cases, significant increases in rates are prompted by a specific change in the property’s status i.e. development or change in property type (for example, from rural to urban, or urban residential to urban business).

There is an additional change this year with a move to a rates-funded rubbish collection across the whole of Tāmaki Makaurau. This means no more prepaid bin tags in Waitakere, North Shore and Papakura.

The standard targeted rate for rubbish collections per household is $172.91 per annum for rating year 2024/2025. This is for the standard council rubbish bin size (120L capacity).

However, ratepayers have the option to request either:

• a smaller bin (80L capacity) if that better suits their needs, and this will incur a lower rate of $145.25 per annum for rating year 2024/2025; or

• a larger bin (240L capacity) if that better suits their needs, and this will incur a higher rate of $290.09 per annum for rating year 2024/2025.

Note the targeted rate for rubbish collections will be applied on a pro-rata basis where the rates-funded rubbish service is not available for the full year. This means ratepayers coming onto the targeted rate for rubbish will have payments spread evenly across the year – however will only be charged for the months the service is available in their area.

New waste rate

There’s a new waste rate in some areas, how does that work?

To help streamline our waste services, we are moving to a rates-funded rubbish collection across the whole of Tāmaki Makaurau. This means no more prepaid bin tags.

This will take place in stages over the next 18 months. These changes will be communicated to residents in coming months.

For more info visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/ratesfunded

For more information

Still have questions?
More information is available - visit Property rates and valuations (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)