Providing accommodation for RSE workers

Accommodation for RSE workers

These are the minimum accommodation standards for Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers. Employers must meet these standards for health, safety, and compliance with their agreement to recruit (ATR).

Buildings

You must ensure accommodation buildings are permanent, weatherproof, and suitable.

This means:

• you cannot use caravans and tents as they are not suitable accommodation
• buildings must be soundly built from permanent and weatherproof materials
• new or renovated premises should comply with the Building Act 2004 and NZ Building Code
• buildings must be fully weatherproof, with gutters and downpipes
• interior walls should be lined and finished (timber-framed buildings)
• thermal insulation is required
• floors must be draught-proof, smooth, and easily cleanable (vinyl over concrete is recommended)
• foundation ventilation openings must be vermin-proof
• accommodation must be located away from stockyards, machinery, or chemicals
• buildings must be clean, hygienic, well maintained, and have adequate window coverings
• garages or non-habitable structures must not be used unless a building consent for change of use is granted.

Bedrooms

You must provide bedrooms that meet space and furnishing standards.

This means:

• provide a minimum floor space of 6 m² for 1 person, 9 m² for 2 people, plus 4.5 m² for each additional person, all with 2.4 m height
• bedrooms must have suitable beds, mattresses, and bedding (1 bed for each person)
• when sharing, occupants should be of the same gender unless agreed otherwise by the residents
• provide cupboards or wardrobes for clothes and personal items
• provide secure storage for valuables (either in the bedroom or in a separate locked and secure location on the property)
• bedding must be appropriate for regional and seasonal conditions (for example Central Otago in winter)
• for bedrooms with over 6 occupants, refer to the local territorial authority (city or regional council) building code as boarding house guidelines may apply
• bedroom capacity should be appropriate for long-term stays.

Cooking facilities

You must ensure cooking facilities are safe and adequate.

This means:

• facilities must be big enough for food preparation and sufficient for residents
• provide at least 1.5m clear floor space by the stove and sink
• supply suitable cooking equipment, utensils, and appliances
• provide hot water at the sink
• ensure adequate ventilation (window area more than 10% of floor space, at least half of the windows should be openable)
• provide cupboard space for non-perishable food and utensils
• cooking facilities must not be used as a bedroom.

Refrigeration

You must provide adequate refrigeration.

This means you must provide refrigerators and freezers with sufficient capacity for all residents.

Dining facilities

You must ensure dining facilities are comfortable and appropriate.

This means:

• provide dining rooms with at least 1.1 m² floor space for each person
• provide tables and enough seating for everyone at once (benches with backs acceptable, not fixed)
• supply adequate equipment, utensils, and appliances for dining
• dining rooms must not be used as bedrooms.

Casual recreational open space

You must provide communal open space.

This means you must provide sufficient open space (for example a lounge) appropriate to resident numbers.

Washing facilities

You must provide washing facilities for hygiene.

This means:

• provide sufficient hand basins with hot and cold water
• provide adequate baths or showers (at least 1 for every 7 people, your local territorial authority may specify more)
• each shower must have an attached dressing area of at least 1m²
• if there are no separate facilities for females, washing areas must be fully enclosed floor-to-ceiling with lockable doors.

Laundry facilities

You must provide enough laundry facilities for everyone.

This means:

• provide washing machines and laundry tubs
• provide enough space to dry clothes.

Sanitary conveniences

You must provide adequate toilet facilities.

This means:

• provide at least 1 bathroom and 1 flush toilet for every 7 people, the toilet must be lockable (however your local territorial authority may have further requirements depending on your accommodation type)
• if there are no separate toilet facilities for females, toilets must be fully enclosed floor-to-ceiling with lockable doors
• toilet capacity must match wastewater system capacity — you should upgrade if needed and check the building code
• you must ensure any on-site wastewater system is properly maintained, if a wastewater system breaks and the property becomes unsanitary it must be vacated until the system is repaired.

Water

You must provide safe and sufficient water supply.

This means:

• drinking water must meet New Zealand Drinking Water Standards and be clean and wholesome
• provide sufficient hot water for showers, baths, hand basins, laundry, and cooking
• water supply must meet New Zealand Building Code per-person requirements.

Lighting and ventilation

You must provide adequate lighting and airflow.

This means:

• all rooms should have natural and artificial lighting (minimum 75 lux for artificial lighting)
• window area must be at least 10% of floor space, and at least half of the windows must open
• ensure cross-ventilation where possible
• display “no smoking” signs at entrances and prohibit indoor smoking.

Heating

You must provide heating appropriate for climate.

This means:

• provide heating in at least 1 room (electric, flued gas, open fire, coal range, or space heater)
• portable unflued gas appliances are not acceptable
• heating must be appropriate for regional and seasonal conditions (for example Central Otago in winter).

Rubbish disposal

You must provide safe waste disposal.

This means:

• provide bins with tight-fitting lids, located away from accommodation
• ensure rubbish is disposed of to prevent health hazards or nuisance
• provide sufficient bins for all residents.

Fire safety

You must comply with fire safety standards.

This means:

• install smoke alarms in bedrooms and living areas compliant with the New Zealand Building Code
• provide fire protection (extinguishers, alarms, escape plans, notices) to meet local fire regulations.

For more information, refer to the 'INZ RSE accommodation standards' document:

Accommodation restrictions

Some restrictions apply for accommodation if the RSE workers are in:

• Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay, or
• Northland, Auckland (including upper Auckland), Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman, and Otago.

No other regions of New Zealand are affected by accommodation restrictions and the restrictions apply only to accommodation you are using for the first time.

If you are not sure where the property is located, check its legal address and council boundaries.

Council maps and websites — Local Government New Zealand

Types of housing you can offer instead

If you are not able to use a residential house due to your location, you can accommodate RSE workers in a:

• purpose-built seasonal worker accommodation
• converted or re-purposed property converted into seasonal worker accommodation
• house on a commercial orchard or vineyard, or
• guest accommodation, such as a designated boarding house, motels, homestay or billeting arrangement.

The existing quality guidelines for suitable accommodation assessed by the Labour Inspectorate will apply:

Healthy homes — Tenancy Services

Boarding houses — Tenancy Services

Types of tenancies — Tenancy Services

Service tenancy — Tenancy Services

Worker accommodation — WorkSafe

Rent caps for RSE accommodation

Rent caps are the maximum amount you can charge a worker each week for accommodation. Weekly rent caps ranging from NZD $150 to NZD $211 (GST inclusive) were introduced to the RSE scheme on 1 April 2026.

Rent caps cover the rent as well as all running costs, including:

• utilities (internet, water, electricity, gas, heating)
• rubbish disposal
• weekly cleaning, and
• household items such as bedding, towels, cutlery, and plates.

The caps do not include food costs.

The amount you can charge depends on the quality and features of your accommodation. Things that determine the rent cap can be the:

• number of people sharing a bedroom
• the age of the building, and
• bathroom proximity and type of access from bedrooms.

RSE accommodation cost methodology

The following table explains how the accommodation cost caps work.

Notes:

• If a property does not meet all minimum standards for RSE accommodation then you cannot use it at all, no matter the rent price.
• If you are aiming for level 3 or 4 and have to meet all the criteria of a lower level, and there is no detail listed for a section, the next highest standard will apply. For example 'shower facilities' has no level 2 criteria, if you are going for level 4 and need to meet all of the level 2 criteria you only have to meet the level 1 criteria for this section.
• You must meet at least the bedroom occupancy of the level below the level you are applying for. It cannot be used as your exemption.

You can also find a text-only version of this table below.

General principles for RSE rent caps

• Actual and reasonable costs apply — employers must not charge more than the actual cost incurred, even if it is below the level cap.
• This framework is for immigration purposes only — it does not override obligations under laws like the Minimum Wage Act, Wages Protection Act and the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Compliance with all other applicable laws will remain the employer’s responsibility.
• Where necessary, workaround measures are acceptable provided they uphold the intent of the framework. For example, if accommodation has pre-existing coin-operated laundry facilities that are impractical to remove, alternative approaches may be used to ensure laundry services are effectively provided free of charge. These could include offering laundry chits, placing a jar of coins in the laundry room, or adjusting rent to offset the typical cost of laundry.

Other clarifications

Ageing buildings

You do not have to reduce the rent simply because your property has reached an age that would normally place it in a lower level. If the only change is building age, and you have already used the available criteria allowances for that level, you may continue charging the same amount — but you cannot increase the rent, including through CPI adjustments. If you want to increase your rent with CPI you must upgrade the building again to meet the Level 4 age requirement or meet another level 4 criterion to get back up to 4 out of 6 level 4 criteria.

Bathrooms

You must meet all the criteria in the relevant box.

Beds

There is a 'no bunk beds' provisions in levels 3 to 4, the intent of this is to prohibit bunk beds where they are used to sleep more than 1 person. If a bunk bed structure is provided but only used to accommodate 1 worker—either on the top or bottom bunk, but not both—this is still considered compliant with the 'no bunk beds' requirement.

Cleaning

For evidence towards level 3 or 4 in this category, cleaning (of shared areas) must be provided by the employer without additional charge to the worker. Cleaning cannot be completed by RSE workers themselves.

Definition of substantially renovated

A property is considered 'substantially renovated' when it is old but has been upgraded extensively so it is comparable to a modern building. Basic cosmetic changes like new paint or curtains do not count. Only major renovations that bring the whole property up to current Building Code standards with new or near-new features qualify.

Dryers

Dryers must be located on the same site as the accommodation and close to the living accommodation. If there are enough dryers available and they are free to use, then there is no need to provide a separate drying area as this would meet Level 1 requirements.

Healthy Homes standards

Nothing in this model overrides or alters the Healthy Homes standards for properties that are legally required to comply with them.

For properties outside the scope of Healthy Homes requirements, the same standards apply within the levels as if the property were subject to those requirements. For example, at level 1, the property must have an independent report verifying that the property meets the equivalent of the Healthy Homes standards. At level 2 this independent verification must happen every 5 years.

Portable facilities

Portable facilities (such as portable showers) are counted towards the minimum standard ratio and we do not plan to change this. If you are using portable facilities, you will still need to meet the other requirements of the level you are applying for.

Transitional period to reduce accommodation charges

There is a 2-year transitional period for employers who are currently charging more than they would be able to under the new methodology.

During this 2-year period:

• You may continue charging your current dollar amount, even if your property now falls into a lower level. However, you cannot apply CPI increases during this time.
• You cannot increase the rent beyond its current level.
• The transition period gives you time to upgrade your property or explore other accommodation options if you want to continue charging at the higher rate after the transition ends.

This transitional period will end on 1 April 2028. If the property still does not meet the criteria for the level that supports your current rent, you must reduce the rent to the level that reflects the standard the property meets. If you want to retain the ability to charge at (or potentially above) your current amount in the long term, we strongly recommend planning and completing any upgrade work well before 2028.

Self‑Audit assessment for RSE Accommodation

Employers must self-audit their own RSE accommodation against the framework and provide evidence showing it meets the level they have chosen.

This can include:

• completing an accommodation self-audit with information about the cost methodology
• providing photos of bedrooms to show how many people share each room
• supplying the Code of Compliance or council records to show the age of the property, and
• giving any other evidence needed to support the level and cost they are applying for.