Hotels, motels and other places to live temporarily

Many new arrivals will start their New Zealand experience in a hotel or motel, holiday rental, or a cabin at a holiday park or camping ground.

The cost of short-term accommodation, and how easy it is to find, will vary throughout the year. It can be affected by tourist numbers, university start dates and school holidays, among other things.

Finding a hotel or motel

There are lots of booking websites you can use to find somewhere to stay. Many will let you search a wide range of different types of accommodation. As well as hotels and motels, they may list self-catering apartments, backpackers and guest houses (also known as bed-and-breakfasts or 'B and Bs').

If you book a hotel or motel, always remember to ask for a quote for a longer stay.

Staying in a boarding house

For short-term accommodation, you can stay at a boarding house. These are sometimes advertised as shared accommodation or 'rooms to rent'.

At a boarding house, each tenant has their own agreement with the landlord to rent a single room, or a sleeping area in a room they share with other tenants. They also share facilities, for example the kitchen and bathroom.

Boarding houses — Tenancy Services

Renting a holiday home

All New Zealand cities, and most towns, offer homes and holiday homes to rent for short periods. In the North Island, a holiday home may be called a bach (pronounced 'batch'), or in the South Island, a crib.

There are many websites you can use to find out what is available.

Holiday parks or camping grounds

As well as providing great places to pitch a tent or park a caravan, many holiday parks and camping grounds have cabins, 'tourist flats', motel options and self-contained units. These can be a cheaper solution for people needing short-term accommodation.

Be aware that sometimes holiday parks and camping grounds have shared facilities, such as a kitchen, bathroom and laundry.