Where to Find Temporary Accommodation in New Zealand

Not every move goes straight from one front door to another. Sometimes your settlement dates do not line up, a new job starts before you have found a permanent place, a renovation drags on, or you simply want to live in a city for a few weeks before committing to a year-long lease. When that happens, you need somewhere to stay in between, and New Zealand has more temporary accommodation options than most people realise.

This guide explains the main types of temporary housing in NZ, roughly what each one costs, who they suit, and how to handle the practical side, including what to do with your furniture while you are in limbo. Getting the in-between right makes the whole move far less stressful.

Who Needs Temporary Accommodation

Temporary housing is not just for one type of person. People end up needing it for all sorts of reasons:

• Mismatched settlement dates. You have sold one house and bought another, but the dates do not line up, leaving a gap of days or weeks.
• Starting a new job in a new city. The job starts now, but house hunting takes time, and you do not want to commit to a rental sight unseen.
• Renovations or a build. Your home is being worked on and is not liveable, or your new build is running behind schedule.
• Trying a city before committing. You are thinking of moving to a new region and want to live there for a while before signing a lease.
• Insurance or emergency situations. Your home has been damaged and you need somewhere to stay while repairs happen.

Whatever the reason, the goal is the same: a comfortable, practical place to live for a defined stretch of time without locking yourself into a long contract.

Types of Temporary Accommodation in NZ

There is a clear spectrum here, from budget options that ask you to compromise on comfort, through to fully serviced apartments that feel like a hotel. Knowing the categories helps you match your budget and length of stay to the right choice.

Serviced Apartments

Serviced apartments are the most comfortable option for stays of a week to a few months. They come fully furnished, with a proper kitchen or kitchenette, laundry facilities, and separate living and sleeping areas. Many are run by national accommodation brands and sit in or near city centres.

The big advantage is that you can actually live a normal life. You can cook your own meals, do your own washing, spread your belongings out, and have people over. For anyone staying longer than a few nights, that beats a hotel room in every way that matters. They cost more than a standard rental but considerably less than an extended hotel stay.

Furnished Rentals and Corporate Housing

Furnished rentals sit in the middle of the market. These are ordinary homes or apartments set up for daily living, often offered on flexible month-to-month terms rather than a fixed 12-month lease. Corporate housing is a similar idea, aimed at people relocating for work.

This option suits anyone needing a few months in one place. You get a home-like setup, more space than a serviced apartment, and the freedom to leave when your permanent place comes through. Some are pet-friendly, which matters if you are moving with animals.

Budget Options

If you are watching every dollar, there are cheaper routes:

• Facebook groups and community pages. Local accommodation and flatmate groups often have short-term rooms and sublets going.
• University accommodation. Outside of semester, some student accommodation is available for short stays, which can be very affordable.
• Trade Me listings. Trade Me has a property section with short-term and furnished rentals.
• Holiday rental platforms. Airbnb, Bookabach and similar sites give you maximum flexibility and a huge range of choice, though longer stays add up quickly.

Budget options trade comfort or certainty for a lower price, but for a short gap they can do the job.

Comparing Your Options

Option	Relative cost	Best length of stay	Comes furnished	Cooking and laundry
Serviced apartment	Highest	1 week to 3 months	Yes	Full kitchen and laundry
Holiday rental (Airbnb etc.)	High, and climbs with the nights	A few days to weeks	Yes	Usually yes
Furnished rental	Mid-range	1 to 6 months	Yes	Yes
University accommodation	Low	Short stays out of term	Usually basic	Shared facilities
Room via Facebook or sublet	Lowest	Flexible	Varies	Shared

Actual prices swing a long way by city, season and how far ahead you book, so treat the ranking as relative rather than fixed. Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown sit at the dearer end, and anything over summer, school holidays or a major event costs more again. Get current quotes for your dates before you budget.

What to Look For

Whatever option you choose, a few features make a temporary stay genuinely comfortable rather than just bearable.

A kitchen or kitchenette. Eating out for every meal gets expensive and tiring fast. Even a basic kitchen lets you cook properly and keep food costs down.

Laundry facilities. A washing machine on site, or easy access to one, saves you a fortune compared with hotel laundry services or constant trips to a laundromat.

Separate living space. Being able to step away from the bed and sit somewhere else makes a big difference over a few weeks, especially if you are working from the accommodation.

Flexible terms. The whole point of temporary accommodation is flexibility. Avoid anything that locks you into a long fixed term when you only need a few weeks.

A practical location. Pick somewhere close to your new job, your kids' school, or the suburb you are house hunting in, so the temporary phase does not add hours of commuting.

Planning Your Move Around Temporary Accommodation

The tricky part of using temporary accommodation is that you usually move twice: once into the temporary place, and again into your permanent home. That means thinking carefully about your belongings.

What to Take With You

Only bring what you genuinely need for the temporary stay: clothes, basic kitchen items if the place is not fully equipped, work gear, and anything for the kids. Most temporary accommodation is furnished, so you will not need beds, sofas or large appliances.

What to Store

The rest of your furniture and belongings needs to go somewhere. You have two main choices:

• Storage unit. Put your furniture into a storage facility and collect it once your permanent home is sorted. This is the cleanest option for a gap of more than a couple of weeks.
• Direct delivery later. If your timing is tight, you might keep furniture with a friend, at your old place, or arrange for it to be delivered straight to your new home when you are ready.

Either way, you will need a reliable way to move bulky items, and handling your furniture twice is exactly when things get knocked about. This is where a delivery marketplace like SoundMove comes in. You can post a job to move furniture into storage, and another to move it out again when your permanent place is ready. Verified drivers bid on each job, so you get a fair price for both legs, and the SoundMove Guarantee puts up to $500 towards your insurance excess on an accepted insurance claim, subject to the terms on that page.

Our moving house checklist for NZ is worth running through whether you are moving once or twice, and if cost is your main concern, the guide on the cheapest way to move furniture in NZ has practical ways to keep the bill down.

Booking Tips

• Book early in busy seasons. Summer, school holidays and major events push prices up and availability down. The earlier you book, the better the deal.
• Confirm the essentials. Before paying, check the kitchen, laundry, internet and parking situation. Photos can be flattering, so ask direct questions.
• Read the cancellation terms. Settlement dates slip and job start dates change. Make sure you can adjust your booking if your timeline moves.
• Ask about minimum stays. Some places have a minimum of a week or a month, which may or may not suit your gap.
• Keep receipts. If your stay is work-related or covered by insurance, you will need documentation to claim it back.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does temporary accommodation cost in NZ?

It depends heavily on the type of accommodation, the city and the time of year, and rates move too much to quote a reliable figure here. As a rough order, serviced apartments are the dearest, holiday rentals are close behind on a per-night basis, furnished rentals sit in the middle, and a room through a community group or out-of-term student accommodation is the cheapest. Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown run higher than the rest of the country, and peak season adds a premium everywhere. Price two or three real options for your actual dates before you commit.

What is the difference between a serviced apartment and a furnished rental?

A serviced apartment is professionally managed, hotel-like, and best for stays of a week to a few months, with full kitchen and laundry facilities included. A furnished rental is an ordinary home set up for living, usually offered month to month, and tends to suit slightly longer stays of one to six months.

What should I do with my furniture while in temporary accommodation?

Most temporary accommodation is furnished, so you will not need your large furniture during the stay. The usual approach is to put it into a storage unit and move it to your permanent home later. You can post both the move into storage and the move out again on SoundMove and have verified drivers bid on each job.

How far ahead should I book temporary accommodation?

For a stay over summer, school holidays or a major event, book several weeks ahead, as availability tightens and prices climb. Outside busy periods you can often arrange something with a week or two of notice, but more lead time always gives you better choice and pricing.

Make the In-Between Easier

Temporary accommodation turns an awkward gap between homes into a manageable, even pleasant, stage of your move. The key is matching the type of accommodation to how long you will be there and what you can afford, then planning your belongings carefully so you are not paying to store things you actually need, or hauling things you do not.

When it is time to move your furniture into storage, or out of storage and into your permanent home, post the job on SoundMove. Verified drivers will compete for your delivery, you choose the bid that suits you, and you get a fair price for every leg of the move.