Living in Dunedin Central: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 3,614 live property titles in Dunedin Central, Dunedin City are mostly freehold (70%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 123 (3.4%), well below the national share of 8.7%.
Dunedin Central cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 123
- Share of live titles
- 3.4%
- Live titles in total
- 3,614
- Dunedin City share
- 4.9%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Dunedin City
- 16 of 18
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 562 of 644
Dunedin Central at a glance
Where Dunedin Central differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: median age (lower than 99% of NZ suburbs); median weekly rent, new tenancies (lower than 97% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Dunedin Central is listed under Dunedin City.
- 3,614 live titles are recorded here, including 123 cross-lease titles (3.4%).
- The page includes 2023 Census context for the statistical area that represents this suburb.
- The page includes MBIE new-tenancy rent figures for April–June 2026.
Contextual observations
- Cross-lease titles make up 3.4% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 17.7% of recorded titles, so title structure can vary within the suburb.
- Coast distance is a suburb-level map measure, not a flood or hazard assessment.
Questions worth investigating
- For any cross-lease property you consider, do the current title, flats plan and lease match what is built today?
- What do the LIM, council property file and a suitable inspection add for the specific address?
No data held for this suburb
- Mapped public-transport context is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Dunedin Central
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,532 | 70.1% |
| Cross lease | 123 | 3.4% |
| Unit title | 641 | 17.7% |
| Leasehold | 230 | 6.4% |
| Other record types | 88 | 2.4% |
| Total | 3,614 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Dunedin Central compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Dunedin Central is well below the national share (8.7%).
Across Dunedin City as a whole, the share is 4.9%; Dunedin Central is lower than the overall Dunedin City share (4.9%).
Its cross-lease share is 3rd lowest of 18 in Dunedin City (among suburbs with an indexed page on this site).
How cross-leases in Dunedin Central are set up
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (7%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (31%, against 11% nationally), up to 10.
Separate exclusive-use areas are more common (10% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Dunedin Central | Dunedin City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 42 | 1,210 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 47.6% | 70.9% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 21.4% | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 31.0% | 18.2% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 568 m² | 632 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 214 m² | 270 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 19.0% | 32.4% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 11.9% | 17.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 9.5% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 7.1% | 10.2% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1980 | 1980 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 3 | 239 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Dunedin Central
Unit titles are 18% of Dunedin Central's titles, well above Dunedin City (4%) and well above New Zealand (8%). They belong to 85 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 5 units or fewer.
The unit-title share is 2nd highest of 18 in Dunedin City.
230 titles (6.4%) are leasehold, 2 of them units in a unit-title development, well above the national share (1.2%).
14 of them have a stated term that has ended or has under 10 years to run, which is worth reading closely in the lease.
Stated lease terms, as at 30 September 2026:
| Stated lease term | Titles |
|---|---|
| Stated term has ended | 5 |
| Under 10 years left | 9 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 11 |
| More than 50 years left | 2 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 200 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 3 |
New titles in Dunedin Central since 2020
309 of Dunedin Central's current titles (9%) were first issued since 2020, above Dunedin City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (7%) and below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is 2nd highest of 17 in Dunedin City.
42% are unit titles, in 18 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 93 | 53 |
| Unit title | 131 | 58 |
| Cross-lease | 1 | 1 |
| Leasehold | 65 | 25 |
| Other | 19 | 9 |
New titles include cross-leases converted to freehold and titles re-issued; they are not a count of new homes. Sources and limits
The lie of the land in Dunedin Central
The typical building in Dunedin Central stands on ground sloping 5.4° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
About 10% of its 3,419 measured buildings stand on ground of 15° or more.
Much of the land is low-lying: the median elevation is 4 m, and parts are below sea level.
Little of the sloping land faces north: 12%, where about a quarter would if slopes faced every way equally.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Dunedin Central
6% of Dunedin Central's titles are within 200 m of the sea or harbour edge, 22% within 500 m and 66% within 1 km. The typical title is 840 m away.
Measured in a straight line from the centre of each title's land to the coastline on LINZ's 1:50k topographic map, which follows harbours and estuaries as well as the open coast; lakes and rivers are not included. Distance says nothing about beach access, views or exposure to coastal hazards; council hazard maps and the LIM describe those.
Who lives around Dunedin Central: 2023 Census
Dunedin Central's titles fall in 9 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 4 shown below hold 86% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
Fewer homes are stand-alone houses in Dunedin Central than across Dunedin City: 12.5% against 81.2%.
Fewer residents are 65 or over in Dunedin Central than across Dunedin City: 3.6% against 17.3%.
Fewer households own their home in Dunedin Central than across Dunedin City: 14.5% against 68.1%.
| Measure | Dunedin Central 41% of titles | Arthur Street 17% of titles | Fernhill 16% of titles | Royal Terrace 12% of titles | Dunedin City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,178 | 1,539 | 1,653 | 1,755 | 128,901 |
| Change since 2018 | +11.0% | +3.0% | +2.8% | +2.1% | +2.1% |
| Change since 2013 | +13.8% | +13.7% | +18.2% | +9.3% | +7.2% |
| Median age | 23.6 | 25.8 | 34.1 | 21.8 | 37 |
| Households | 684 | 576 | 675 | 534 | 49,188 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 14.5% | 31.3% | 29.3% | 16.3% | 68.1% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 86.0% | 68.8% | 70.7% | 83.7% | 31.8% |
| Median household income | $66,600 | $82,100 | $66,300 | $55,100 | $80,500 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $450 | $430 | $330 | $440 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 18.4% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 7.9% | 8.2% |
| Ages | |||||
| Under 15 | 3.6% | 7.4% | 7.6% | 3.9% | 14.8% |
| 15 to 29 | 63.8% | 53.2% | 35.0% | 70.6% | 26.7% |
| 30 to 64 | 29.1% | 31.2% | 43.0% | 21.2% | 41.2% |
| 65 and over | 3.6% | 7.8% | 14.5% | 4.3% | 17.3% |
| Where people came from | |||||
| Born overseas | 37.3% | 29.2% | 34.3% | 36.0% | 21.2% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 38.0% | 25.7% | 33.9% | 37.3% | 22.7% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 78.2% | 67.4% | 61.2% | 76.4% | 45.1% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 7.4% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 7.8% | 3.7% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 58.2% | 42.4% | 37.1% | 62.3% | 24.0% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 32.0% | 42.0% | 38.8% | 30.3% | 29.0% |
| Employed full-time | 37.6% | 46.2% | 47.2% | 24.7% | 44.5% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 6.6% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 6.6% | 3.2% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 36.6% | 42.5% | 39.6% | 36.2% | 42.6% |
| Median personal income | $20,300 | $29,600 | $32,500 | $13,800 | $33,500 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||||
| Work from home | 9.6% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 12.8% | 12.6% |
| Car, truck or van | 31.9% | 50.0% | 51.3% | 34.0% | 70.3% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 5.7% | 2.6% | 8.5% | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Walk or cycle | 51.1% | 35.4% | 27.2% | 48.6% | 11.4% |
| Households and families | |||||
| One-person households | 25.2% | 27.1% | 39.3% | 21.5% | 27.0% |
| Average people per household | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 24.8% | 12.9% | 18.8% | 19.3% | 8.8% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 10.6% | 4.3% | 5.5% | 10.0% | 3.4% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 22.6% | 28.1% | 26.2% | 23.8% | 38.4% |
| Couples without children | 69.0% | 55.1% | 58.3% | 61.9% | 46.5% |
| One-parent families | 8.3% | 16.9% | 16.5% | 12.7% | 15.1% |
| Homes | |||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 12.5% | 53.8% | 39.6% | 40.6% | 81.2% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 74.7% | 83.0% | 76.7% | 79.6% | 77.7% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 19.9% | 24.7% | 22.8% | 32.9% | 17.3% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 16.0% | 15.7% | 20.0% | 25.9% | 11.5% |
Rents around Dunedin Central
New tenancies in Dunedin Central in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $400 a week (down 11.1% on a year earlier). That is below the typical suburb in Dunedin City ($565), and well below the national median ($600); 2nd lowest of 13 in Dunedin City.
| April–June 2026 | Dunedin Central 41% of titles | Arthur Street 17% of titles | Fernhill 16% of titles | Royal Terrace 12% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $400 | $420 | $400 | $330 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $274–$548 | $215–$533 | $250–$480 | $245–$410 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −11.1% | +5.5% | +8.1% | +3.1% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 30 | 33 | 27 | 27 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Dunedin Central
LINZ maps 7 school sites inside Dunedin Central, among them Arthur Street School (Full Primary) and London House Learning Centre (Activity Centre).
- Arthur Street School (Full Primary)
- London House Learning Centre (Activity Centre)
- Otago Boys' High School (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Otago Girls' High School (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- St Hildas Collegiate (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- St Joseph's Cathedral School (Contributing)
- Trinity Catholic College (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Nearest school: Otago Girls' High School (0.4 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Otago Girls' High School (0.4 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Dunedin Hospital (1.0 km)
School enrolment zones in Dunedin Central: a guide
Five secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Dunedin Central's titles, among them St Hildas Collegiate, John McGlashan College and Kavanagh College.
- Liberton Christian School (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Arthur Street School (primary, Years 1–8): all or nearly all titles
- Columba College (composite): all or nearly all titles
- St Hildas Collegiate (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- John McGlashan College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Kavanagh College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Logan Park High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Otago Girls' High School (secondary): about 80% of titles
A guide only: check the school's own zone map for any address. Zones as at 14 July 2026. Sources and limits
Places of worship near Dunedin Central
OpenStreetMap maps 15 places of worship inside Dunedin Central (13 Christian, 2 other or not recorded).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: First Church of Otago, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Masjid Al Huda, 1.4 km away
- Jewish: Dunedin Jewish Congregation, 2.1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Dunedin City with many cross-leases
- Mosgiel: 626 cross-lease titles (8.9%)
- Saint Kilda: 573 cross-lease titles (25.3%)
- South Dunedin: 356 cross-lease titles (16.9%)
- Caversham: 165 cross-lease titles (12.2%)
- North East Valley: 96 cross-lease titles (5.4%)
- Roslyn: 85 cross-lease titles (9.8%)
- Saint Clair: 85 cross-lease titles (5.5%)
Suburbs like Dunedin Central
The closest match on the measures on this site is North Dunedin in Dunedin City, nearest on land per flat, distance to the coast, distance to a hospital. Closeness is arithmetic, not a rating. Sources and limits
| Suburb | Council | Cross-lease share of titles | Median weekly rent, new tenancies | Median age | Closest on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dunedin | Dunedin City | 3.0% | $280 | 20.1 | land per flat, distance to the coast, distance to a hospital |
| North East Valley | Dunedin City | 5.4% | No data | 22.5 | working from home, distance to the coast, degrees |
| Christchurch Central | Christchurch City | 6.7% | $500 | 31.1 | elevation, distance to a hospital, commuting by public transport |
| Palmerston North | Palmerston North City | 10.0% | $425 | 29.6 | distance to a hospital, heat pumps, rent |
| Nelson | Nelson City | 2.3% | $450 | 40.4 | new titles, distance to the coast, elevation |
Questions
What is the rent in Dunedin Central?
New tenancies in the Dunedin Central rent area had a median rent of $400 a week in the April–June 2026 quarter (MBIE bond data, all dwelling types). These are rents agreed for new tenancies, not asking rents. The middle half of those rents ran from $274 to $548.
What schools are in Dunedin Central?
LINZ maps 7 school sites inside Dunedin Central, including Arthur Street School, London House Learning Centre and Otago Boys' High School. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Otago Girls' High School (0.4 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include St Hildas Collegiate, John McGlashan College and Kavanagh College; check the school's own zone map for any address.