Suburbs in Christchurch City: rents, census and property titles
LINZ recorded 194,206 live titles in Christchurch City on 30 September 2026: 75% freehold, then cross-lease at 15.6%. Its 30,354 cross-lease titles (15.6%) are well above the national share of 8.7% (the highest of 54 in New Zealand, among councils with at least 100 cross-lease titles).
Christchurch City cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 30,354
- Share of live titles
- 15.6%
- Live titles in total
- 194,206
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Suburbs with 30+ cross-lease titles
- 70
Title mix in Christchurch City
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 144,899 | 74.6% |
| Cross lease | 30,354 | 15.6% |
| Unit title | 15,511 | 8.0% |
| Leasehold | 917 | 0.5% |
| Other record types | 2,525 | 1.3% |
| Total | 194,206 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes. Sources and limits
How cross-leases in Christchurch City are set up
Carports appear in fewer leases (5% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (2% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
More leases include a garage (52% of schemes, against 28% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Christchurch City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 12,525 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 79.7% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 7.8% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 809 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 369 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 52.2% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 5.2% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 2.1% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 25.6% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1989 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 6,564 | 54,978 |
Among suburbs with at least 300 live and 30 cross-lease titles, the highest cross-lease shares in Christchurch City are in Edgeware (36.8%), Merivale (28.6%), Ilam (27.4%), Riccarton (27.2%), Sockburn (26.3%).
Suburbs in Christchurch City by cross-lease share
| Suburb | Cross-lease titles | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgeware | 870 | 2,367 | 36.8% |
| Merivale | 818 | 2,856 | 28.6% |
| Ilam | 964 | 3,513 | 27.4% |
| Riccarton | 1,331 | 4,900 | 27.2% |
| Sockburn | 672 | 2,556 | 26.3% |
| Russley | 300 | 1,146 | 26.2% |
| Upper Riccarton | 649 | 2,632 | 24.7% |
| St Albans | 1,674 | 6,826 | 24.5% |
| Avonhead | 982 | 4,054 | 24.2% |
| Papanui | 752 | 3,132 | 24.0% |
| Linwood | 1,165 | 4,945 | 23.6% |
| Saint Martins | 323 | 1,380 | 23.4% |
| Hornby | 837 | 3,595 | 23.3% |
| Somerfield | 731 | 3,227 | 22.7% |
| Richmond | 500 | 2,236 | 22.4% |
| Addington | 737 | 3,314 | 22.2% |
| Phillipstown | 497 | 2,243 | 22.2% |
| Redwood | 774 | 3,659 | 21.2% |
| New Brighton | 722 | 3,501 | 20.6% |
| Sydenham | 982 | 4,787 | 20.5% |
| South New Brighton | 193 | 944 | 20.4% |
| Strowan | 287 | 1,430 | 20.1% |
| Spreydon | 852 | 4,337 | 19.6% |
| Northcote | 251 | 1,287 | 19.5% |
| Waltham | 482 | 2,492 | 19.3% |
| Fendalton | 314 | 1,634 | 19.2% |
| Bromley | 346 | 1,805 | 19.2% |
| Hei Hei | 317 | 1,656 | 19.1% |
| Bishopdale | 701 | 3,673 | 19.1% |
| Southshore | 120 | 650 | 18.5% |
| Beckenham | 149 | 812 | 18.3% |
| North New Brighton | 357 | 1,970 | 18.1% |
| Hoon Hay | 563 | 3,156 | 17.8% |
| Sumner | 257 | 1,461 | 17.6% |
| Islington | 171 | 989 | 17.3% |
| Dallington | 143 | 843 | 17.0% |
| Bryndwr | 437 | 2,594 | 16.8% |
| Hillmorton | 214 | 1,297 | 16.5% |
| Wainoni | 176 | 1,079 | 16.3% |
| Woolston | 862 | 5,666 | 15.2% |
| Parklands | 581 | 3,925 | 14.8% |
| Casebrook | 399 | 2,772 | 14.4% |
| Burnside | 528 | 3,701 | 14.3% |
| Avonside | 92 | 646 | 14.2% |
| Templeton | 155 | 1,109 | 14.0% |
| Middleton | 62 | 449 | 13.8% |
| Huntsbury | 150 | 1,088 | 13.8% |
| Redcliffs | 166 | 1,219 | 13.6% |
| Avondale | 165 | 1,214 | 13.6% |
| Broomfield | 152 | 1,149 | 13.2% |
| Belfast | 376 | 2,866 | 13.1% |
| Opawa | 80 | 616 | 13.0% |
| Cashmere | 382 | 2,982 | 12.8% |
| Mairehau | 419 | 3,438 | 12.2% |
| Burwood | 343 | 3,012 | 11.4% |
| Hillsborough | 167 | 1,519 | 11.0% |
| Lyttelton | 143 | 1,522 | 9.4% |
| Mount Pleasant | 182 | 2,017 | 9.0% |
| Westmorland | 91 | 1,045 | 8.7% |
| Waimairi Beach | 42 | 500 | 8.4% |
| Shirley | 215 | 2,583 | 8.3% |
| Aranui | 201 | 2,538 | 7.9% |
| Heathcote Valley | 89 | 1,165 | 7.6% |
| Christchurch Central | 620 | 9,277 | 6.7% |
| Harewood | 88 | 1,406 | 6.3% |
| Akaroa | 89 | 1,584 | 5.6% |
| Halswell | 531 | 9,757 | 5.4% |
| Diamond Harbour | 32 | 887 | 3.6% |
| Northwood | 54 | 2,214 | 2.4% |
| Wigram | 93 | 4,126 | 2.3% |
Halswell, Templeton and Kennedys Bush and 1 more straddle another council; LINZ lists Christchurch City first, so their titles are counted here.
Christchurch City at a glance
13% of titles in Christchurch City's suburbs were first issued since 2020, slightly above New Zealand (12%). 83% of titles are within 400 m of a public transport stop with a scheduled weekday service, and 54% within 400 m of a frequent one. 10% of titles are within 1 km of the sea or harbour edge. The wider district is a little drier than the national average for homes (840 mm of rain a year, against 1,000 mm) and cooler than it (11.6°C, against 13.5°C), on NASA POWER's ~50 km grid.
| Suburb | Cross-lease share of titles | Median weekly rent, new tenancies | Titles first issued since 2020 | Median age | Homes with a heat pump | Median slope under buildings | Titles within 400 m of a public transport stop | Typical distance to the coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgeware | 36.8% | $525 | 24.5% | 31.4 | 92.9% | 0.7° | 100.0% | 5.8 km |
| Merivale | 28.6% | $585 | 11.8% | 42.4 | 88.7% | 0.7° | 99.4% | 7.7 km |
| Ilam | 27.4% | $590 | 3.9% | 27.3 | 87.3% | 0.7° | 95.9% | 11 km |
| Riccarton | 27.2% | $530 | 16.4% | 29.7 | 88.2% | 0.7° | 98.9% | 8.3 km |
| Sockburn | 26.3% | $570 | 3.2% | 39.4 | 86.9% | 0.7° | 99.4% | 11.8 km |
| Russley | 26.2% | No data | 5.3% | 38.2 | 87.9% | 0.7° | 92.8% | 13.4 km |
| Upper Riccarton | 24.7% | $518 | 12.2% | 29.4 | 81.2% | 0.7° | 99.9% | 10.1 km |
| St Albans | 24.5% | $513 | 17.8% | 32.7 | 90.8% | 0.7° | 90.8% | 7 km |
| Avonhead | 24.2% | $530 | 2.9% | 36.6 | 87.6% | 0.7° | 98.2% | 12.4 km |
| Papanui | 24.0% | $568 | 12.5% | 40.3 | 86.4% | 0.7° | 84.6% | 9.4 km |
| Linwood | 23.6% | $460 | 19.9% | 34.6 | 87.8% | 0.7° | 99.5% | 3.6 km |
| Saint Martins | 23.4% | $640 | 4.6% | 40.6 | 89.3% | 0.8° | 99.2% | 3.6 km |
| Hornby | 23.3% | $550 | 9.9% | 36.1 | 82.8% | 0.7° | 91.7% | 12.7 km |
| Somerfield | 22.7% | $555 | 16.4% | 38 | 86.6% | 0.7° | 90.5% | 5.9 km |
| Richmond | 22.4% | $488 | 18.1% | 33.4 | 89.7% | 0.7° | 100.0% | 5 km |
| Addington | 22.2% | $528 | 22.0% | 32.1 | 88.6% | 0.7° | 99.5% | 6.8 km |
| Phillipstown | 22.2% | $490 | 19.1% | 33.6 | 83.9% | 0.7° | 100.0% | 3.5 km |
| Redwood | 21.2% | $600 | 6.4% | 38.6 | 85.0% | 0.7° | 88.1% | 8 km |
| New Brighton | 20.6% | $520 | 12.3% | 41.6 | 78.5% | 0.7° | 99.1% | 0.5 km |
| Sydenham | 20.5% | $540 | 13.3% | 36.7 | 87.7% | 0.7° | 89.6% | 4.8 km |
| South New Brighton | 20.4% | $640 | 2.2% | 41.2 | 79.8% | 0.7° | 100.0% | 0.3 km |
| Strowan | 20.1% | $620 | 4.9% | 42.7 | 91.1% | 0.7° | 92.8% | 8.9 km |
| Spreydon | 19.6% | $560 | 26.4% | 34.7 | 87.4% | 0.7° | 96.4% | 6.9 km |
| Northcote | 19.5% | $525 | 10.8% | 39.5 | 83.2% | 0.7° | 78.6% | 9.3 km |
| Waltham | 19.3% | $463 | 18.9% | 33.5 | 86.1% | 0.7° | 93.3% | 3.7 km |
| Fendalton | 19.2% | $620 | 7.8% | 46.2 | 85.4% | 0.7° | 90.7% | 9 km |
| Bromley | 19.2% | No data | 2.2% | 36.7 | 83.6% | 0.7° | 80.3% | 1.6 km |
| Hei Hei | 19.1% | $580 | 3.7% | 35.9 | 81.9% | 0.7° | 95.0% | 14.1 km |
| Bishopdale | 19.1% | $598 | 4.9% | 38.4 | 89.0% | 0.7° | 88.5% | 11 km |
| Southshore | 18.5% | $640 | 5.1% | 41.2 | 79.8% | 0.7° | 100.0% | 0.1 km |
| Beckenham | 18.3% | $620 | 3.4% | 42.7 | 86.7% | 0.7° | 78.1% | 4.6 km |
| North New Brighton | 18.1% | $560 | 8.1% | 38.6 | 80.2% | 0.7° | 98.3% | 0.7 km |
| Hoon Hay | 17.8% | $553 | 5.9% | 34.7 | 85.9% | 0.7° | 88.1% | 7.7 km |
| Sumner | 17.6% | $620 | 4.4% | 46.8 | 80.9% | 1° | 96.6% | 0.4 km |
| Islington | 17.3% | No data | 10.8% | 37.8 | 83.6% | 0.7° | 57.1% | 14.6 km |
| Dallington | 17.0% | $520 | 15.7% | 37 | 88.5% | 0.7° | 91.3% | 4.5 km |
| Bryndwr | 16.8% | $585 | 7.7% | 34.2 | 86.3% | 0.7° | 94.7% | 10.2 km |
| Hillmorton | 16.5% | $590 | 4.9% | 38.3 | 90.4% | 0.7° | 76.6% | 8.7 km |
| Wainoni | 16.3% | $540 | 6.2% | 35.8 | 84.3% | 0.8° | 97.3% | 3 km |
| Woolston | 15.2% | $530 | 10.9% | 40.5 | 87.1% | 0.7° | 88.6% | 1.8 km |
| Parklands | 14.8% | $580 | 1.0% | 39.7 | 87.0% | 0.7° | 91.2% | 1.9 km |
| Casebrook | 14.4% | $560 | 19.8% | 38.3 | 89.2% | 0.7° | 79.5% | 9.7 km |
| Burnside | 14.3% | $660 | 4.6% | 36.8 | 87.3% | 0.7° | 99.8% | 11.8 km |
| Avonside | 14.2% | $293 | 11.6% | 36.1 | 83.3% | 0.7° | 92.3% | 3.7 km |
| Templeton | 14.0% | No data | 5.3% | 40 | 82.9% | 0.7° | 55.8% | 16.6 km |
| Middleton | 13.8% | No data | 6.0% | 22.9 | 76.2% | 0.7° | 92.7% | 9.2 km |
| Huntsbury | 13.8% | No data | 3.0% | 46.2 | 88.8% | 11.5° | 96.4% | 4 km |
| Redcliffs | 13.6% | No data | 5.7% | 52 | 86.6% | 2.6° | 63.7% | 0.4 km |
| Avondale | 13.6% | No data | 4.9% | 36.7 | 86.7% | 0.7° | 84.3% | 3.1 km |
| Broomfield | 13.2% | No data | 9.1% | 36.9 | 87.5% | 0.7° | 81.5% | 13.9 km |
| Belfast | 13.1% | No data | 35.2% | 37.4 | 88.0% | 0.7° | 58.8% | 6.7 km |
| Opawa | 13.0% | No data | 3.7% | 47.6 | 86.0% | 0.7° | 71.4% | 3 km |
| Cashmere | 12.8% | $713 | 2.9% | 43.5 | 85.5% | 8.2° | 77.8% | 5 km |
| Mairehau | 12.2% | $600 | 6.4% | 34.1 | 86.6% | 0.7° | 75.5% | 6.6 km |
| Burwood | 11.4% | $600 | 11.3% | 36.2 | 87.1% | 0.7° | 94.6% | 3.4 km |
| Hillsborough | 11.0% | $445 | 5.7% | 42.2 | 84.8% | 1° | 62.3% | 2.3 km |
| Lyttelton | 9.4% | $600 | 3.0% | 46.3 | 76.4% | 13.6° | 78.4% | 0.4 km |
| Mount Pleasant | 9.0% | $700 | 3.0% | 49.4 | 85.2% | 10.5° | 92.8% | 0.7 km |
| Westmorland | 8.7% | No data | 8.6% | 46.4 | 88.6% | 6.5° | 93.9% | 6 km |
| Shirley | 8.3% | $560 | 14.3% | 35.2 | 84.9% | 0.7° | 92.5% | 5.3 km |
| Aranui | 7.9% | $550 | 7.1% | 32.4 | 76.8% | 0.7° | 81.4% | 2 km |
| Heathcote Valley | 7.6% | No data | 7.8% | 47.7 | 83.9% | 2.2° | 91.4% | 1.3 km |
| Christchurch Central | 6.7% | $500 | 28.7% | 31.1 | 86.8% | 0.7° | 99.7% | 5.4 km |
| Harewood | 6.3% | No data | 17.3% | 50.3 | 88.5% | 0.7° | 73.5% | 11.6 km |
| Akaroa | 5.6% | No data | 2.7% | 58.3 | 73.1% | 7.9° | 0.0% | 0.3 km |
| Halswell | 5.4% | $685 | 33.0% | 34.7 | 95.8% | 0.7° | 67.3% | 8.6 km |
| Diamond Harbour | 3.6% | No data | 4.7% | 54.1 | 64.0% | 8.3° | 1.9% | 0.2 km |
| Northwood | 2.4% | No data | 4.0% | 49.8 | 92.8% | 0.7° | 57.6% | 8.4 km |
| Wigram | 2.3% | No data | 8.4% | 36.8 | 83.7% | 0.5° | 78.3% | 10.9 km |
New titles by year in Christchurch City
2025 brought 4,343 titles still live, more than the 5-year average before it (3,558), against a peak of 4,536 in 2023.
| Year issued | All new titles | Freehold | Unit titles | Cross-lease | Leasehold | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,679 | 1,984 | 547 | 49 | 48 | 51 |
| 2021 | 2,716 | 2,227 | 369 | 32 | 49 | 39 |
| 2022 | 4,316 | 3,860 | 347 | 29 | 47 | 33 |
| 2023 | 4,536 | 4,082 | 334 | 47 | 48 | 25 |
| 2024 | 3,541 | 3,208 | 254 | 30 | 31 | 18 |
| 2025 | 4,343 | 3,866 | 404 | 25 | 22 | 26 |
| 2026 (Jan–Sep) | 2,972 | 2,609 | 304 | 34 | 10 | 15 |
Cross-lease titles in Christchurch City, by suburb
Unit titles in Christchurch City, by suburb
Leasehold titles in Christchurch City, by suburb
Room for a small stand-alone unit, suburb by suburb
Christchurch City at the 2023 Census
| Measure | Christchurch City 2023 Census |
|---|---|
| Usual residents | 391,383 |
| Change since 2018 | +6.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +14.6% |
| Median age | 37.5 |
| Households | 149,442 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 64.8% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 35.2% |
| Median household income | $90,600 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $415 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 8.1% |
| Ages | |
| Under 15 | 16.5% |
| 15 to 29 | 21.6% |
| 30 to 64 | 45.5% |
| 65 and over | 16.3% |
| Where people came from | |
| Born overseas | 27.9% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 20.1% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 47.2% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.2% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 21.5% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |
| Bachelor degree or higher | 29.2% |
| Employed full-time | 50.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.7% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 43.7% |
| Median personal income | $40,400 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |
| Work from home | 13.0% |
| Car, truck or van | 71.7% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 4.1% |
| Walk or cycle | 9.6% |
| Households and families | |
| One-person households | 25.9% |
| Average people per household | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 7.1% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.6% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 40.2% |
| Couples without children | 43.3% |
| One-parent families | 16.5% |
| Homes | |
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 73.4% |
| Average bedrooms | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 86.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 15.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 9.4% |