Explained – The New Short-Term Visitor Accommodation (Airbnb) Rules in Queenstown Lakes District

Information Current As of Jan 2026

On 30 January 2023, New Zealand’s Environment Court issued a decision that has directed the Queenstown Lakes District Council to change the District Plan rules regarding short-term accommodation. This Court decision is relevant to anyone who intends to undertake short-term accommodation from their property in the District.

This page will provide a simple explanation of these new rules for the three main District Plan zones in Queenstown Lakes District (including Wānaka and Hāwea), plus the Jacks Point Zone (which includes Hanley’s Farm & Willowpond), Northlake Zone, and Shotover Country Zone.

However short-term accommodation is a very site-specific matter, which makes it very difficult to provide generic advice. There are many, many other zones in the District Plan that will not be covered here. There are also ‘visitor accommodation sub-zones’ located within the zones we do cover here. Finally there are properties that already have resource consent that you may not be aware of, or specific restrictions that prevent short-term accommodation despite the rules (restrictions on the title for example). 

Therefore we always offer free advice to inform you what the specific rules for your property are, and what you need to do to stay compliant with the new District Plan rules for short-term accommodation.

Warning: This Environment Court decision is the end of a process that started in 2017. Now the rules are settled, we are also now expecting the Queenstown Lakes District Council to commence a wide-reaching enforcement operation on illegal Airbnb’s. Council is under significant pressure from the Community to take action on the rental housing crisis. Please ensure you are 100% compliant with the District Plan rules to avoid enforcement action. If you have been contacted by Council’s Monitoring and Enforcement Team, please contact us for specific advice.

Firstly – Are You Wanting To Undertake A ‘Homestay’ Activity?

 

Planning to live at your property full-time at the same time fee-paying short-term guests are staying? i.e. renting out spare rooms or the sleepout while you also live there? That’s called a ‘Homestay’ and is a bit different – see information about Homestays at the end of this page. 

However if you are intending to rent out the whole property, the following is a summary of the new rules for the Lower Density Suburban Residential Zone, Medium Density Residential Zone, High Density Residential Zone, Jacks Point Zone (which also includes the Hanley’s Farm and Willowpond subdivisions), Northlake Zone, and Shotover Country Zone. You can find out which zone you property is located using Council’s mapping viewer (or just ask us!).

 

Low & Medium Density Residential Zones

New Rules as Per The Environment Court’s Decision –

• Up to 90 nights per year of short-term rental (where the whole property is rented) – a formal resource consent may no longer be required* if all the relevant standards can be met, with Council approval obtained by a streamlined (and lower cost) registration process. QLDC will increase the property rates by approx 25% once the registration application is approved.

• There are a number of standards to be met to be eligible to unlock the 90 nights/yr. These include maximum guest numbers (depending on the size of the property); max one group at a time; no heavy vehicles; no guest use of outdoor living areas during night-time hours + related signage installed on the property; and rubbish/recycling bins to be only left out on the street on collection day. The registration application/process also requires the details of the appointed local property manager to be supplied to Council, and neighbours served formal notice of the activity.

• For 90 nights/yr or less (approved via the streamlined registration application), there is also an on-going annual requirement to file records of all letting for the previous year to the Council, and neighbours re-served written notice of the activity.

• More than 90 nights/yr of short-term accommodation legally requires a resource consent to be granted by Council. These applications often require the written approval of neighbours. There’s no longer a ‘hard line in the sand’ of a maximum 180 nights/yr of short-term accommodation (as was the case with the old rules) – it’s now all up to us to prepare a comprehensive application and for Council assessment of what they consider appropriate.

• Through the resource consent process, Council will consider a number of matters including: the location, nature and scale of the activity; vehicle access / parking; rubbish / recycling management; outdoor activities and outdoor lighting; privacy for neighbours; guest management and complaints procedures; record-keeping and monitoring requirements.

• *Is your property in a unit title complex? If so – you need to firstly check that none of the other units in the complex are undertaking short-term accommodation. The ’90 nights/yr without consent’ applies to the entire unit title complex – and not each individual unit. So if another unit is being used for short-term accommodation, the 90-night allocation is ‘extinguished’ and a resource consent is required to use your unit for short-term accommodation, even for less than 90 nights/yr.

High Density Residential Zone

New Rules as Per The Environment Court’s Decision –

• Up to 90 nights per year of short-term rental (where the whole property is rented) – a formal resource consent may no longer be required* if all the relevant standards can be met, with Council approval obtained by a streamlined (and lower cost) registration process. QLDC will increase the property rates by approx 25% once the registration application is approved.

• There are a number of standards to be met to be eligible to unlock the 90 nights/yr including maximum guest numbers (depending on the size of the property); and no heavy vehicles. The registration application/process also requires the details of the appointed local property manager to be supplied to Council, and neighbours served formal notice of the activity.

• For 90 nights/yr or less (approved via the streamlined registration application), there is also an on-going annual requirement to file records of all letting for the previous year to the Council, and neighbours re-served written notice of the activity.

• More than 90 nights/yr of short-term accommodation legally requires a resource consent to be granted by Council. Compared to the Low/Medium Density Residential Zones, it’s easier to gain resource consent for more than 180 nights/yr of short-term accommodation (often up to 365 nights/yr).

• Through the resource consent process, Council will consider a number of matters including: the location, nature and scale of the activity; vehicle access / parking; rubbish / recycling management; outdoor activities and outdoor lighting; privacy for neighbours; guest management and complaints procedures; record-keeping and monitoring requirements.

• *Is your property in a unit title complex? If so – you need to firstly check that none of the other units in the complex are undertaking short-term accommodation. The ’90 nights/yr without consent’ applies to the entire unit title complex – and not each individual unit. So if another unit is being used for short-term accommodation, the 90-night allocation is ‘extinguished’ and a resource consent is required to use your unit for short-term accommodation, even for less than 90 nights/yr.

Jacks Point Zone (Including Hanley’s Farm and Willowpond)

New Rules as Per The Environment Court’s Decision –

• Up to 42 nights per year of short-term rental (where the whole property is rented) – a formal resource consent may no longer be required if all the relevant standards can be met, with Council approval obtained by a streamlined (and lower cost) registration process. QLDC will increase the property rates by approx 25% once the registration application is approved.

• There are a number of standards to be met to be eligible to unlock the 42 nights/yr including maximum guest numbers (depending on the size of the property); max one group at a time; no heavy vehicles; no guest use of outdoor living areas during night-time hours + related signage installed on the property; and rubbish/recycling bins to be only left out on the street on collection day. The registration application/process also requires the details of the appointed local property manager to be supplied to Council, and neighbours served formal notice of the activity.

• For 42 nights/yr or less (approved via the streamlined registration application), there is also an on-going annual requirement to file records of all letting for the previous year to the Council, and neighbours re-served written notice of the activity.

• More than 42 nights/yr of short-term accommodation legally requires a resource consent to be granted by Council. These applications often require the written approval of neighbours. 

• Through the resource consent process, Council will consider a number of matters including: the location, nature and scale of the activity; vehicle access / parking; rubbish / recycling management; outdoor activities and outdoor lighting; privacy for neighbours; guest management and complaints procedures; record-keeping and monitoring requirements.

Northlake Zone

• No resource consent required for up to 90 nights per calendar year provided the house is either a free-standing or duplex dwelling (i.e. apartments/town houses not eligible and require resource consent).

• To unlock the 90 nights/yr, the property needs to be firstly registered as a holiday home with Council. QLDC will increase the property rates by approx 25% once the registration application is approved.

• Records of all letting must be kept; minimum one on-site car park available for guests.

• Resource Consent legally required for more than 90 nights/yr. Difficult consent to obtain (except in one central area of Northlake). Written approval of the neighbours likely to be required.

Shotover Country Zone

• No resource consent required for up to 90 nights per calendar year provided the house is either a free-standing or duplex dwelling (i.e. apartments/town houses not eligible and require resource consent).

• To unlock the 90 nights/yr, the property needs to be firstly registered as a holiday home with Council. QLDC will increase the property rates by approx 25% once the registration application is approved.

• Records of all letting must be kept; minimum one on-site car park available for guests.

• Resource Consent legally required for more than 90 nights/yr. This is generally a difficult consent to obtain in Shotover Country. Written approval of the neighbours very likely required. 

Other Zones

There are many, many other zones in the Queenstown-Lakes District – and each has their own set of rules / requirements around short term accommodation. If your property is not in one of the zones listed above, please complete the 6 questions further up in this page under “Is Short-Term Accommodation Allowed at Your Property?”. We’ll get back to you with specific information/advice relevant to your property – 100% free and absolutely no-obligation. We’re just here to help.

Homestay

A homestay is a form of short-term accommodation where you live on the property full-time, and rent out a spare room / sleepout / flat etc on the same property for short-term accommodation. Think of it like a traditional bed and breakfast (with the ‘breakfast’ part being optional!). 

A homestay activity generally does not require a resource consent from Council, provided the maximum number of paying guests on the property at any one time does not exceed five (5).

There is no limit on the number of nights per year that a homestay activity can operate from a property (i.e. no such thing as max 90 nights/yr, max 180 nights/yr etc). A homestay can operate year-round.

It’s important that you are living on the property full-time in order to be eligible to be classified as a homestay. If no one is living on the property full-time, it cannot be classified as a homestay.

Before commencing a homestay activity, the property needs to be registered as a homestay with Council. Once approved, Council will increase your property rates by approximately 25%. 

There is also not to be any heavy vehicle movements (by vehicles capable of carrying more than 12 people), and up-to-date records of the activity need to be kept and supplied to Council upon request. These records need to include the number of guests staying per night.

If you would like to run a homestay activity with more than 5 guests, a resource consent is required from Council.

Do I Need Professional Holiday Home Management?

You will require someone who is locally-based (full-time) to manage the property and quickly respond to any complaints. This could be yourself if you live locally, or an appointed local Property Manager. As part of the resource consent application (or registration application if less than 90 nights/yr is sought), we need to supply details on how the property will be carefully managed when used for short term accommodation, so as to not affect neighbours or the wider neighbourhood.

The majority of clients we work with choose to have their holiday home managed by a professional property management agency, and we incorporate this into the application. A property manager will assist you in meeting the requirements of your resource consent, in addition to promoting your property.

Want More Information?

• Check out this guide produced by the Council – Click Here. Note this Council guide is of limited benefit as it  only covers the Low/Medium/High Density Residential Zones – and not the many other zones we have in the District! However it does provide good information about the increases in QLDC rates a visitor accommodation activity generates.

• Finally get in touch and fire through an enquiry. We will take a look at your specific property and provide free advice on the new rules, registration process (for less than 90 nights/yr or homestays) process to apply for resource consent + associated costs, and any immediately obvious issues – for free and without any obligation.

The post Council’s New Short-Term Visitor Accommodation Rules – 2025 Update appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.

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Stage 3 is a real ‘mixed bag’ of provisions, with the most significant provisions being:

• A new Settlement Zone (replaces the previous ‘Township’ zonings of Glenorchy, Kinloch, Kingston, Luggate and Makarora).
• Re-zoning of Albert Town and Hawea to ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential’ Zone (the same as the majority of Wanaka).
• A new Wāhi Tūpuna chapter to assist in implementing the strategic direction set out in Chapter 5 Tangata Whenua in relation to providing for the kaitiakitanga of Kāi Tahu as Manawhenua in the district.
• Implementation of Residential Design Guidelines

Settlement Zone

The proposed new Settlement Zone will largely replace the existing ‘Township’ zonings of Glenorchy, Kinloch, Kingston, Luggate and Makarora. These provisions are largely the same as the current rules, however would make it easier to gain resource consent to have a residential flat (“granny flat”) at your property and a slight relaxation on the distance buildings have to be setback from neighbour’s boundaries (2m). The Glenorchy requirement to have a gable roof form with a minimum pitch from the horizontal of 25 degrees will still exist. Short-term accommodation for up to 90 nights/yr is proposed to be a permitted activity (no resource consent required, subject to compliance with standards).

Re-Zoning Albert Town and Hawea to ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential’ Zone

Council are proposing to re-zone Hawea and Albert Town to the ‘Lower Density Suburban Residential Zone’ (LDSR). This will bring the zonings of these areas in line with the rest of Wanaka, and is largely expected given these areas are serviced with Council infrastructure (water supply, wastewater disposal). A re-zoning to LDSR would significant increase the potential for property owners in Albert Town and Hawea to develop their land.

For example, under the current rules, you are only allowed to have one dwelling per 800m2 of land – meaning most properties are only single-dwelling capable (and with no residential flats). Under the LDR rules, it will be possible to have up to one dwelling per 300m2 of site area (subject to resource consent), each with a residential flat. Yes, these rules will significantly up-zone these two areas.

The one downside for owners who wish to use their property for short-term accommodation: the LDSR zone will mean that a resource consent is required to rent out your entire house for short term accommodation (i.e. no more ’90 days/yr without a resource consent’).

New Wāhi Tūpuna Chapter

Council are proposing to introduce a new Wāhi Tūpuna chapter. This chapter will identify specific wāhi tūpuna areas with an overlay on the planning maps. In general, these areas are generally around the edges of the Lakes and Rivers, and up valleys. In general, urban areas are excluded – except for Glenorchy, Kingston, and a portion of Hawea.

In general, land within this zone will fall under a more restrictive resource management regime, with the following likely to be impacted (and likely require consultation with Manawhenua and/or a cultural impact assessment):

• Farm buildings will require resource consent
• Increased setback of buildings from water bodies now required
• Restricting earthworks to a maximum of 10m3 before resource consent is needed
• Subdivision of land in wāhi tūpuna areas

Implementation of Residential Design Guidelines

Council are proposing to implement new Residential Guidelines – to apply to the High Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, and Lower Density Suburban Residential Zones. It is intended that this guideline will be referred to as a part of a resource consent application assessment, to help ensure the creation of high quality residential neighbourhoods.

These guidelines will be ‘built into’ the District Plan by being a part of the assessment for a proposal where multiple residential units are proposed on a site, when commercial activities are proposed, and when various non-compliances with development standards are proposed (such as building setbacks from boundaries, maximum building coverage, building length etc).

Want to Make a Submission?

Submissions close 18 November 2019.  You can make a submission on the Council’s website.

The post Open for Submissions: Queenstown Lakes Proposed District Plan Stage 3 appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.

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2019 Update: Please Note The Information on This Page is Now Outdated and is Archived for Information Purposes Only. Please CLICK HERE to View the Latest Information Regarding Short Term Accommodation 

A lot has changed since the last post on using your property for Visitor Accommodation (VA) such as AirBnB in the Queenstown-Lakes District – time for an update.

What are the current rules? How long can I currently list my Queenstown or Wanaka property on AirBnB (or similar) for? What are the costs? Will my rates go up?

Well – the Council have recently published an excellent updated guide to short term accommodation (click to view the document). This helpful guide will answer all these questions, including:

• The different classes of VA – i.e. registered holiday home vs homestay
• Whether or not you require a resource consent
• Costs and benefits of using your property for short term accommodation
• How to become registered with the Council and avoid fines
• The effect on your rates and potential for development contributions
• Whether or not you require a building consent
• The requirements of a registered holiday home

But here’s the thing – in the coming months these current rules may well be gone with the wind…

The headlines say it all:

“Queenstown Council to vote on Airbnb cuts”

“Tourism industry welcomes Queenstown Airbnb crackdown”

“Queenstown Airbnb Reform a Good Start But Not Far Enough”

“Airbnb concerned about Queenstown crackdown”

That’s right – on the 23 November 2017 the Council formally put out their proposed new rules for public submissions.

Let’s cut through all the noise and explain what this really means

We’ll focus on the Low Density Residential and High Density Residential Zones. This covers most urban residential areas in Queenstown, Wanaka, and Arrowtown. We’ll also only focus on renting out the entire house – as that is by far the most common enquiry we receive. This Council factsheet goes into more depth with different property zones and requirements.

The AirBnB Status Quo

Currently, in many cases you do not require a resource consent (“planning permission”) to rent your house out to fee-paying guests, up to the following limits & provided the following requirements are met:

• Rented for no more than 90 days/year (i.e. allowing up to 30 individual lets)
• Require a minimum stay of 3 nights for guests
• Must be registered with the Council
• Records of letting must be kept
• Your house is a standalone dwelling or duplex units (not an apartment)

A resource consent is needed if any of these requirements are not met, including letting more than 90 days/yr. Currently this kind of resource consent, with a high-quality and professional application, is often fairly straightforward to achieve.

Why are Hosts Finding AirBnB Attractive?

• An estimated $74.5 million of total revenue was generated for AirBnB hosts over the 12 months to September 2017, including $12.9 million in the High Density Residential Zone*.
• In the year to September 2017, hosts in Queenstown-Lakes earned on average $25,254 per entire house/unit, compared to $12,426 nationally. Those in the High Density Residential zone made $42,308 respectively*.
• Airbnb guests in Queenstown-Lakes District stayed the third longest out of 66 territorial authorities in the 12 months to September*.
• Queenstown-Lakes hosts made the highest amount of money per property across 66 Territorial Authorities in the 12 months to September 2017*.

Click to Visit the AirBnB Website

Council’s Proposed New AirBnB / Visitor Accommodation Rules:

• Not letted more than 28 days/year in total
• No more than 3 individual lets per year
• No minimum stay for guests
• Less than 8 traffic movements per day & no heavy vehicles or buses
• You can now use your apartment for short term accommodation

A resource consent is needed if any of these requirements are not met, and will likely be a very difficult consent to get if your property is in the Low Density Residential Zone (the majority of Queenstown, Wanaka, and Arrowtown).

It is very clear that the proposed new rules will dramatically and severely limit the VA revenue-generating potential of residential properties, especially with a restriction of a maximum 3 individual lets. Given the average length of AirBnB stay in the District is 4.2 days* – this could potentially result in only letting your property for 12 days per year…

So What Happens Now?

Public hearings have recently been held – and the Council is awaiting the receipt of the recommendation reports from their appointed Independent Hearings Panel.

What if I Get a Resource Consent Before New Rules Apply?

If you obtain a resource consent prior to any new rules coming into effect, you can usually continue to operate under that consent in future without issue (provided you comply with all conditions of the consent). A resource consent is also usually tied with the land – meaning that any future owners of the property could also operate under the consent. This is the reason several people have applied for a visitor accommodation consent even if they plan to sell their property in the future.

How Long Do I Have to ‘Get In’?

The process of submissions, hearings, independent decision-making and (often) appeals, does take many months. However, the process of obtaining a resource consent also takes time – both in preparing the application and for Council to process it.

If you are seriously looking at applying for resource consent, it is strongly recommended that you progress this in the prior to 15 December 2018

What Now?

Get in touch and fire through an enquiry. We will take a look at your specific property and provide advice on the current rules, impact of the proposed rules, process to apply for consent, and any immediately obvious issues – for free and without obligation.

*Source: Infometrics report titled, ‘Measuring the scale and scope of Airbnb in Queenstown-Lakes District’, prepared for the Queenstown-Lakes District Council, dated November 2017.

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– It’s official –

– Visitor Accommodation Under Siege –

The Queenstown Lakes District Council have launched a massive campaign targeting the illegal Visitor Accommodation use of houses within the District – whether as a holiday house let by the property owner or tenants sub-letting rooms. As reported nationwide in the New Zealand Herald, The Otago Daily Times, and on the Council’s own website, an audit has been undertaken by the Council:

As a result of the audit, 792 property owners are being contacted and reminded that they need to register their properties, apply for resource consent or alternatively stop advertising their properties for short-term rent. This would also apply if tenants had been sub-letting rooms in a house without the landlord’s knowledge.

Under the Resource Management Act, these land owners could face a fine of up to $300,000 and two years’ imprisonment if they don’t get these matters sorted quickly… ouch!

So – what are the rules?

Well – unsurprisingly it’s rather complicated.. But let’s distil it down:

Use By Friends & Family:

1 – Do you want to allow your home to be used by friends / family etc for without any payment? -> No further action required. This is a permitted activity and you do not need to contact the Council.

Home Stay (Bed & Breakfast):

2 – Do you want to use your home as a Home Stay (Bed & Breakfast) for a maximum of 5 guests, with you living on site at the same time? You need to register your Homestay with the Council, but should not need a resource consent. If you will have more than 5 guests – you will require a resource consent. 

Commercial Letting (Air BnB, Bookabach, NZ Holiday Homes etc):

3 – Do you only want to rent your home/room for one single let of  1 or 2 nights per annum? Say just over the New Years period? -> No further action required. This is a permitted activity and you do not need to contact the Council.

4 – Do you want to rent out for one single let per annum, for up to 30 days? Say to one family over the entire Christmas/New Years period for example? -> You need to register your Holiday Home with the Council, but should not need a resource consent.

5 – Do you want to rent out on multiple occasions per calendar year, up to a maximum 90 days in total – each single let being 3+ nights? -> You need to register your Holiday Home with the Council, but should not need a resource consent.

6 – How about the ultimate freedom – the ability to rent out as many times as you want, to any number of guests, for any length of time? -> You require a resource consent.

Important Note: Advertising your property on websites such as AirBnB, Bookabach etc is counted toward your letting allowances. I.e. if you are advertising your holiday home on AirBnB year-round, you still require a resource consent even if you only intend to actually rent for 90 days or less! 

Will My Rates Go Up?

Aw shucks – they will in most, but not all cases. More information can be found in the Council’s own Guide to Visitor Accommodation. If you pursue a Resource Consent you will likely be subject to the payment of a development contribution to the Council.

I need a Resource Consent!

With amazing Holiday Homes in our amazing District commanding amazing rent values (up to $4000/week!) it’s no surprise that many home owners choose to pursue a resource consent for Visitor Accommodation for the ultimate freedom. But its not always a simple process.

The ease of getting resource consent for Visitor Accommodation whether in Queenstown, Wanaka, Arrowtown or anywhere else in the District differs wildly as it is dependent on so many factors – such as the location of the property, type of property (i.e. apartment vs farm house), noise, neighbours, car parking and much more! In our experience the biggest single factor (and potentially hurdle) is your neighbours – exactly why we continue to preach good neighbourly talk over the backyard fence!

Because of this we suggest that you get in touch with us and have a chat (no charge of course!). Remember: we won’t sugar-coat the truth – if we think there is little chance your application will be approved – we will let you know.

Do I Need Professional Holiday Home Management?

As part of the resource consent application we need to supply details on how the property will be carefully managed when used for short term accommodation, so as to not affect neighbours or the wider neighbourhood. The majority of clients we work with choose to have their holiday home managed by a professional property management agency, and we incorporate this into the application. Whilst not a requirement, a property manager will assist you in meeting the requirements of your resource consent, in addition to promoting your property.

We strongly recommend you contact Goodstays for your holiday home management needs. Serving both Queenstown and Wanaka, in our experience Goodstays are the most professional and efficient management company.

Contact: Nicholas Casely Parker (Goodstays General Manager) T: +64 21.229.6029 | e: ncp@goodstays.co.nz

Want More Info?

Check out the Council’s own guide to Visitor Accommodation publication – which contains more info than we could fit on this page!

The post Q&A: Resource Consent for Visitor Accommodation in Queenstown & Wanaka appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.

Here’s our top tips to ensure subdivision success in the Queenstown / Wanaka area

To subdivide, or not to subdivide – that is the question! Property prices within the District are currently riding absolute rocketship (Queenstown values up 22% in the last year alone!). For many the temptation to subdivide and cash out has never been greater. If you are fortunate enough to be in this position, our top tips will help you prepare for launch.

Step 1: The Planning Rules

Before you seriously consider subdividing, you firstly need to figure out whether or not you can under the Planning Rules. The Planning rules are found in the Operative District Plan. You first need to find out what Planning Zone you are in by looking at the Planning Maps and then taking a look at the Subdivision Rules

The first set of rules you need to focus on are the minimum lot size i.e. is your property large enough to subdivide? (hint: check page 15-28 onwards).

In general the rules fall into two categories:

Urban land (i.e. residential zones): You can subdivide provided you meet the minimum lot size and other related rules

Rural General land (i.e. most of the rural land in the District): There is no specific minimum lot size as the entire application to subdivide will be assessed by the Council.

Tip: Don’t spend too much time going through the rules at this stage – just enough to get a general idea of what will be required.

Step 2: Make an Enquiry With Council

Not surprisingly, the rules around subdivision are rather complicated. Once you have taken an initial look at the rules, you should make an enquiry with land professionals. Firstly contact the Council’s Duty Planner. This is a free service and they will be able to provide you with a wealth of  information on how to get started.

You also want to make an enquiry with the Council’s Development Contribution Officer to get an idea on the likely financial contribution you will need to make once you subdivide. What is a development contribution? As described by the Council:

A Development Contribution is a financial charge levied on new developments. It is assessed and collected under the Local Government Act 2002. It is intended to ensure that any party, who creates additional demand on Council infrastructure, contributes to the extra cost that they impose on the community.

Tip: Make sure you obtain an estimate of the likely development contribution as this cost is a large part of the subdivision process.

Step 3: Engage the Professionals

By now the Council will have given you an idea of the likely process that you will need to go through in order to subdivide. The next step is to engage the professionals:

Planning Consultant: The Council will not prepare your application for you. Engage a trusted professional to provide advice on your proposal and to help design your subdivision. You will be required to apply for a resource consent to subdivide and this is something practically every Planning Consultant has experience in. Of course at Pragmatic Planning we would be happy to assist you in this regard, just contact us – but there are several consultants who are well-equipped to take on this work.

Surveyor: A surveyor is needed to physically undertake a survey of the land and prepare accurate subdivision plans to be lodged with the Council. They will also need to assist in designing the engineering-related aspects of the development i.e. vehicle access. Your Planning Consultant would often arrange this for you so you are only dealing with one consultant.

Tip: In order to save on consultant costs – have a go at designing the subdivision of the property yourself. Walk around your site with an aerial map and work out the most logical position for the new boundary/boundaries, access, and new services (water, electricity, wastewater connections etc).

Step 4: Resource Consent

All subdivision needs to be approved by the Council through the granting of a resource consent. The likely time taken for this process varies greatly depending on the nature and complexity of the subdivision, and location. Subdivision of rural land is often a ‘Publicly Notified’ resource consent application and can take close to a year (or more!) to be approved. Your Planning Consultant will be able to give you further information about the likely timeframes.

Tip: Consulting with your neighbours early can speed up the resource consent process.

Step 5: Survey Plan and Physical Works

Your surveyor will prepare a more detailed survey plan of the subdivision and submit this to the Council for approval.

The approved resource consent will almost certainly contain conditions requiring physical works to be undertaken. Common examples include the installation of services, forming vehicle access, and earthworks. This usually results in the majority of your subdivision cost – or close to it! Your Planning Consultant and Surveyor will often assist you in arranging these works to get underway.

Tip: Obtain quotes from multiple contractors – you may be surprised at the differences!

Step 6: Apply for Completion of Subdivision

Works are completed, the legal and survey stuff done, and the development contribution has left a decent hole in your wallet – it’s time to apply to finalise the process! Your consultants will make a formal application to the Council’s Subdivision Officer. The Council will then check that all the conditions of consent have been satisfied and issue a certificate to confirm that the subdivision can be finalised. Your consultants will then submit these to Land Information NZ (LINZ) to get the new titles issued.

Tip: Unless otherwise specified in the resource consent, you will have a maximum 5 years to have the survey plan certified by the Council, and a further 3 years to complete the physical works and complete the subdivision.

Step 7: Subdivision Success!

There you have it – the five steps to subdivision! You can now sell your newly-created property and make it all worthwhile. Provided you have obtained good advice the overall process should have been relatively stress-free and costs tightly controlled.

Remember – there’s no harm in at least trying to find out if you are likely to be able to subdivide: contact us and well let you know. As always – absolutely no commitment required, and we won’t charge you a cent for initial advice.

The post How Do I Subdivide My Property? – Top Tips for Subdivision Success appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.

Make no ‘mistake’ – land in our beautiful district often seems to be like a hot potato – people are always coming and going!

We regularly provide advice to soon-to-be property owners seeking their dream home. Common questions include ‘what can I do on my property?’, ‘can I subdivide?’, and ‘what can my neighbour potentially do!!?’. These purchasers walk away with a better understanding on their target property and are therefore better informed to make the right decision.

Unfortunately throughout our years of professional practice we sometimes meet people who have purchased a property (without advice) and things haven’t gone so well. These troubles often come down to one of the following five mistakes:

Mistake 1 . Not obtaining a LIM

A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) is a document prepared by the Council in relation to a particular property. It essentially provides a current ‘snapshot’ of the information Council currently holds about the property. For example you could expect a LIM to contain information about the infrastructure to and on the site (stormwater etc), relevant resource and building consents, zoning and rating information, known natural hazards, and any other information the Council considers relevant.

Compared to the overall value of the property purchase, the nominal LIM fee is an absolute drop in the bucket.

Lesson: Make sure that you obtain a LIM (takes between 3 – 10 working days) prior to settling on a property.

Mistake 2. Lack of Due Diligence

That LIM you have just obtained will include a wealth of information. Unfortunately that information is often not in ‘plain English’, and will refer to permits/consents issued under other Acts of Parliament. We strongly recommend  that you engage a lawyer to look over the details of the LIM and property from a legal standpoint.

For example, there may be a resource consent in place on the property that consented the existing house – with on-going technical monitoring requirements. You need to know exactly what these requirements will be to understand the true cost of owning the property. An experienced lawyer will be able undertake ‘due diligence’ and cut through the technical fluff for you.

Lesson: You wouldn’t buy a secondhand car without obtaining a pre-purchase inspection – make sure you do your due diligence before committing to the (likely) biggest purchase of your life.

Mistake 3. Assumptions..

Assumptions are killer. Too often we have seen people purchase a property with the assumption that everything will be in order.

One expensive example of an assumption relates to a building in Hawea. The property was purchased with a single cottage in a charming white colour. Due to the assumption that “if the owner is selling all must be ok with the Council“, the owner was in for a shock when the Council monitored the property – and asked why the house had yet to be re-painted in a dull brown colour. It turned out that resource consent was granted to locate the cottage onto the site, provided it was painted brown and the roof replaced.

Obtain a LIM, due your due diligence, understand all the conditions of any consents on the property, and check that any other buildings or structures on the property already have consent – or do not require consent.

Lesson: The seller is the seller – you as the buyer need to assure you are not blinded by assumptions.

Mistake 4. Believing that amazing view will be around forever

The majority of serious disputes between neighbours in relation to building and development occurs when a once-amazing view is restricted by your neighbours new _(insert- view blocking thing)_. View shafts of our lakes and mountains are a serious privilege of living here and there is nothing better than enjoying that privilege out of your own living room. However too often we see neighbours fall out when this amazing view becomes restricted.

You need to understand that often these views are dependent on your neighbour not building something they are completely entitled to build within the permitted planning rules. The District Plan provides a complicated ‘box’ of building rights that your neighbour can build within. Furthermore they can apply for a resource consent to build beyond this ‘box’ – and the Council does not necessarily have to consider that you are adversely affected by the development.

But that’s just buildings. Trees are another common view-obstruction and (more often than not) aren’t controlled by the District Plan or any Council bylaws. Any disputes are a ‘civil matter’ between the parties (think lawyer bills..).

Lesson: Understand the planning and development rules before you purchase the property – and accept that, unfortunately, an amazing view is often nothing more than a luxury that you have no permanent right to.

Mistake 5. Not anticipating the future environment around you 

Things change, they always do. The once sleepy towns of the District are no longer and seem to be growing at an ever-increasing pace. Areas once used for grazed paddocks now contain multi-million dollar developments. People often buy property without truly understanding just how much their surroundings can change and just how quickly this can happen.

• Stay in the loop about the District Plan review process and from the Council. This will directly affect your built surrounds into the future and you can have a say in the process.
• Keep in touch with your neighbours and discuss future plans – alternatively there’s another way you can find out what your neighbours are up to.
• Most importantly: expect things to change – try to foresee what you consider to be the ‘worst-case scenario’ and plan accordingly.

Lesson: Things change! Be ready for it.

The post 5 Costly Mistakes Property Buyers Make (and How to Avoid Them) appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.

One day you are sitting in your living room enjoying that delicious view that our stunning environment offers. The next day a large shed has magically appeared on your neighbour’s section..

Abracadabra! View be gone! 

This nasty surprise could have easily been avoided should your neighbours have done the ‘neighbourly’ thing and consulted with you, even if they were not legally required to.

Unfortunately that does not always happen.

However there is a way to find out exactly what those neighbours are up to….

Step 1:

Stick your head over the fence and ask them! You may be surprised just how drama-free this really is..

Step 2:

Failing that – the Queenstown Lakes District Council hold’s publicly accessible property information online that YOU can access to find out exactly what they have planned. The first step here is to find the ‘Assessment Number’ of your neighbour’s property.

Go to: http://maps.qldc.govt.nz/qldcviewer/ and search the address of the property in the search box. The property will appear along with a snapshot of the relevant property information:

You will see the ‘Assessment’ number in the left portion of the screen. Take note of this number – you are going to need it for the next step.

Step 3:

Head over to the Council’s ‘Edocs’ website – https://edocs.qldc.govt.nz/. Edocs is a publicly-accessible portal where you can view property information, including building and resource consents. If this is your first time using Edocs, you must first Register (this will take approximately 1 min..)

Log into Edocs.

Step 4:

In the search box, type or paste in the ‘Assessment Number’ for the property that you found on the QLDC Mapping site. This will produce same result just below the search box – click on this number. Edocs will then display all property information for the property you selected:

Step 5:

You want to select either the ‘Resource Consents’ tab (for Planning Permission Applications) or ‘Building Consents’ (for Building Permits). This will display all building and resource consents currently linked to the property, along with a description of what the consent relates to. Click on the (+) symbol and you will see all electronic/scanned documents associated with that consent.

In most cases you will want to view the Plans to fully understand what is proposed by your neighbour. Click the (v) button to download and view a .pdf of the document:

There you go! Snooping on the neighbours made easy! If you know of a consent application that does not show up on Edocs, it may be best to contact the Council directly and make an enquiry.

The post How Do I Find Out What My Neighbours Are Up To? appeared first on Pragmatic Planning - Queenstown / Wanaka Planning Consultant - Resource Consents & Short Term Visitor Accommodation Consents.