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  1. Home
  2. Housing
  3. Living in your home
  4. Housing costs

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Housing

  • Nowhere to stay
  • Find a house
  • Living in your home
    • Housing costs
    • Living in public housing
    • Staying in emergency housing
  • Moving house
  • Other languages

Housing costs

If you need help to pay rent or other accommodation costs, or support to stay in your home, we may be able to help.

If you need help to pay your on-going costs of rent, board or the costs of owning a home, you may be able to get an Accommodation Supplement. You don't have to be on a benefit to get this payment.

If you live in public housing, you won't qualify for this payment.

Accommodation Supplement

You may be worried you'll lose your housing because you owe accommodation costs, e.g. rent, board or cabin hire. If so, you may be able to get an Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant.

You need to talk to your accommodation supplier first, e.g. your landlord or head tenant. Check if you can make a payment arrangement with them.

If you can't make a payment arrangement, see if you qualify for an Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant.

Accommodation Costs Arrears Grant

Spending rent money on other bills

If you've had to spend your rent money on other bills, like food or power, we may be able to help with these bills. This is so you can still pay your rent.

Help with urgent or unexpected costs

Renting

If you're renting, it's the landlord’s responsibility to repair and maintain the house. So, if something breaks down or goes wrong, tell the landlord straight away.

Key rights and responsibilities - Tenancy Services website

If you live in public housing, you can request maintenance and view maintenance jobs through MyKāingaOra. This is an online way for public housing tenants to check their accounts, rent balances, maintenance requests and much more.

MyKāingaOra

Own your own home

If you're on a benefit and own your own home and need money for essential repairs or maintenance, we may be able to help.

Home repairs and maintenance

Help with heating costs

We may be able to help you with the costs of:

  • an urgent power, gas, or water bill
  • bedding
  • blankets
  • curtains
  • heaters.
Power, gas, water bills or heating

Extra heating if you have a disability

If you have extra power, gas or heating costs because of your disability or health condition, we may be able to help you pay this as part of a Disability Allowance.

Power, gas and heating costs

If your landlord charges you costs to end your tenancy early, or to sublet or assign your tenancy to someone else, we may be able to help.

Your landlord must give you an itemised account of the actual costs, e.g:

  • cost of advertising
  • credit checks, or
  • money to cover rent while another tenant is found.

We need to see this account.

If you're not on a benefit

You may be able to get a Recoverable Assistance Payment up to $200, or more in exceptional circumstances. You'll need to pay it back.

Recoverable Assistance Payment

If you're on a benefit

You may be able to get an Advance Payment of Benefit up to $200, or more in some circumstances. You'll need to pay it back.

Advance Payment of Benefit

From 4 September 2023, the Temporary Accommodation Assistance will be available. It's to help some homeowners who can't live in their home due to the North Island weather events. Their insurance cover for rental accommodation also needs to be ending soon.

Temporary Accommodation Assistance

A rates rebate is a partial rebate for eligible, low-income ratepayers who pay rates on their home to the council. You need to apply to your local council for the rebate.

You'll need to provide proof of your income to your local council. If you're getting a benefit or payment from us, call us and ask for a rates rebate income statement.

Getting a rates rebate - govt.nz

If you need to make changes to your home because you or your child has a disability, you may be able to get House Modification Funding.

House Modification funding

Parent or carer

If you're a parent or carer we may be able to help you with the cost of home help to complete household tasks or training in parenting skills.

Home help

Injury covered by ACC

If you've had an injury that ACC cover and you need help at home afterwards, ACC may be able to help.

Help at home after an injury - ACC

Support services

Support services for disabled people - CCS Disability Action

CCS Disability Action offers a broad range of support services for disabled people, family and whanau.

Home and Community Support Services - Ministry of Health

If you need support in your home, there are Home and Community Services funded by the Ministry of Health. They can help with both household management and personal care.

Nurse Maude

Nurse Maude provides nursing and home support services to more than 400,000 people.

RDNS New Zealand

Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) New Zealand is a leading provider of home-based healthcare solutions for people living in their own homes across the Southland, Otago and Auckland Districts.

Getting older

If you’re getting older, you may be finding it harder to cope on your own. There are support services that help you to stay in your home for as long as you can.

Support services for older people - Ministry of Health

Related

Bond and rent in advance
Living expenses
Urgent or unexpected costs
Health and disability costs
Help when you're moving for work
Powerswitch calculator on powerswitch.org.nz

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