Living in Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast District: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 3,380 live property titles in Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast District are almost all freehold (89%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 209 (6.2%), below the national share of 8.7%.
Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast District cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 209
- Share of live titles
- 6.2%
- Live titles in total
- 3,380
- Kapiti Coast District share
- 10.5%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Kapiti Coast District
- 6 of 9
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 439 of 644
Ōtaki at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Ōtaki is listed under Kapiti Coast District.
- 3,380 live titles are recorded here, including 209 cross-lease titles (6.2%).
- 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 6.2% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 2.7% of recorded titles, so title structure can vary within the suburb.
- Public-transport figures describe how recorded titles sit near mapped stops. They do not describe a service from a particular property.
- 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
- The core title, Census, rent, transport and coast measures used by this page are available.
Title mix in Ōtaki
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,018 | 89.3% |
| Cross lease | 209 | 6.2% |
| Unit title | 91 | 2.7% |
| Leasehold | 15 | 0.4% |
| Other record types | 47 | 1.4% |
| Total | 3,380 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Ōtaki compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Ōtaki is lower than the national share (8.7%).
Across Kapiti Coast District as a whole, the share is 10.5%; Ōtaki is well below the overall Kapiti Coast District share (10.5%).
How cross-leases in Ōtaki are set up
Carports appear in fewer leases (4% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Separate exclusive-use areas are less common (2% of schemes, against 5% nationally).
Three-flat schemes are less common here (5%, against 12% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Ōtaki | Kapiti Coast District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 93 | 1,446 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 83.9% | 92.4% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 5.4% | 3.6% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 8.6% | 3.8% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 883 m² | 852 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 416 m² | 420 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 65.6% | 38.2% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 4.3% | 9.3% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 2.2% | 4.4% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 24.7% | 40.3% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1988 | 1988 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 62 | 1,274 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Ōtaki
Unit titles are 3% of Ōtaki's titles, close to Kapiti Coast District (3%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 5 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 10 units or fewer.
15 titles (0.4%) are leasehold.
1 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 | 1 |
| Under 10 years left | 0 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 0 |
| More than 50 years left | 6 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 5 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 3 |
New titles in Ōtaki since 2020
470 of Ōtaki's current titles (14%) were first issued since 2020, well above Kapiti Coast District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and slightly above New Zealand (12%).
That rate is the highest of 9 in Kapiti Coast District.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 400 | 252 |
| Unit title | 38 | 28 |
| Cross-lease | 2 | 2 |
| Leasehold | 4 | 4 |
| Other | 26 | 25 |
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 Ōtaki
The typical building in Ōtaki stands on ground sloping 1.0° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), joint flattest of 9 in Kapiti Coast District.
Nearly all of its 5,281 measured buildings (95%) stand on ground under 5°.
The land rises from about 0 m to 406 m, and 19% of all of it, including reserves and gullies, is 15° or steeper.
Slope is not a measure of ground stability. Sources and limits
Distance to the coast from Ōtaki
Ōtaki is inland: the typical title is 3.5 km from the sea or harbour edge, and fewer than 1 in 200 titles are within 1 km of it.
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 Ōtaki: 2023 Census
About 68% of Ōtaki's titles are in the census area Ōtaki (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Ōtaki exactly.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Ōtaki than across Kapiti Coast District: 8.5% against 4.4%.
Fewer workers commute by bus, train or ferry in Ōtaki than across Kapiti Coast District: 5.2% against 8.8%.
Fewer residents were born overseas in Ōtaki than across Kapiti Coast District: 15.2% against 23.7%.
| Measure | Ōtaki | Waitohu | Forest Lakes (Kapiti Coast District) | Kapiti Coast District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 3,771 | 1,251 | 621 | 55,914 |
| Change since 2018 | +8.1% | +11.5% | +12.5% | +4.2% |
| Change since 2013 | +21.7% | +18.1% | +27.0% | +13.9% |
| Median age | 42.1 | 42.4 | 53.1 | 48.8 |
| Households | 1,554 | 483 | 231 | 22,845 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 65.3% | 79.5% | 85.7% | 77.7% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 34.7% | 20.5% | 14.3% | 22.3% |
| Median household income | $59,500 | $85,900 | $100,400 | $85,200 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $388 | $450 | $314 | $474 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 8.2% | 8.8% | 9.4% | 11.8% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 18.8% | 20.4% | 16.9% | 16.2% |
| 15 to 29 | 17.2% | 17.0% | 12.1% | 13.7% |
| 30 to 64 | 41.1% | 39.3% | 45.9% | 43.4% |
| 65 and over | 23.0% | 23.3% | 24.6% | 26.7% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 15.2% | 16.5% | 13.1% | 23.7% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 9.1% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 14.1% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 46.5% | 44.7% | 40.1% | 40.8% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 3.4% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 15.8% | 13.8% | 11.7% | 15.1% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 20.8% | 23.4% | 28.6% | 27.8% |
| Employed full-time | 42.9% | 49.7% | 42.4% | 44.5% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 3.6% | 2.1% | 3.5% | 2.3% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 43.8% | 46.6% | 50.0% | 49.0% |
| Median personal income | $33,100 | $40,900 | $39,500 | $39,100 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 16.0% | 16.8% | 33.7% | 23.5% |
| Car, truck or van | 69.3% | 74.5% | 58.7% | 62.5% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 8.8% |
| Walk or cycle | 8.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 4.4% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 36.0% | 24.0% | 17.3% | 28.9% |
| Average people per household | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 6.9% | 3.6% | 0.0% | 5.9% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 5.9% | 4.7% | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 33.6% | 33.0% | 31.7% | 35.3% |
| Couples without children | 41.4% | 46.1% | 57.1% | 49.9% |
| One-parent families | 25.4% | 20.9% | 7.9% | 14.8% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 83.1% | 94.4% | 94.8% | 83.9% |
| Average bedrooms | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 62.6% | 59.3% | 42.3% | 61.2% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 20.0% | 16.5% | 13.9% | 10.8% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 13.2% | 12.2% | 13.9% | 8.2% |
Rents around Ōtaki
New tenancies in Otaki in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $525 a week (down 11.0% on a year earlier). That is slightly below the typical suburb in Kapiti Coast District ($610), and slightly below the national median ($600); the lowest of 8 in Kapiti Coast District.
| April–June 2026 | Otaki | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $525 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $460–$585 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | −11.0% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 21 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Ōtaki
LINZ maps 6 school sites inside Ōtaki, among them Otaki College (Secondary (Year 7-15)) and Otaki School (Contributing).
- Otaki College (Secondary (Year 7-15))
- Otaki School (Contributing)
- St Peter Chanel School (Otaki) (Full Primary)
- Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito (Composite)
- Te Kura ā Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano (Composite)
- Waitohu School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Otaki College (0.2 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Otaki College (0.2 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Wairarapa Hospital (48.9 km)
School enrolment zones in Ōtaki: a guide
One secondary school has a home zone covering most of Ōtaki's titles: Otaki College.
- Otaki College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
A guide only: check the school's own zone map for any address. Zones as at 14 July 2026. Sources and limits
Public transport in Ōtaki
73% of Ōtaki's titles are within 400 m of a stop with a scheduled weekday service, close to Kapiti Coast District as a whole (77%).
Fewer than 1% are within 400 m of a stop with 60 or more departures that day.
The typical title is 216 m in a straight line from its nearest stop.
Timetable of Wednesday 30 September 2026, Metlink (Greater Wellington Regional Council). Sources and limits
Places of worship near Ōtaki
OpenStreetMap maps 7 places of worship inside Ōtaki (7 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Otaki Presbyterian Church, under 1 km away
- Buddhist: Green Mountain Zen, 7.9 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Kapiti Coast District with many cross-leases
- Paraparaumu Beach: 715 cross-lease titles (17.5%)
- Waikanae: 627 cross-lease titles (12.6%)
- Paraparaumu: 540 cross-lease titles (11.2%)
- Raumati Beach: 439 cross-lease titles (18.3%)
- Raumati South: 197 cross-lease titles (11.8%)
- Waikanae Beach: 103 cross-lease titles (4.8%)
- Ōtaki Beach: 74 cross-lease titles (5.8%)
- Paekākāriki: 49 cross-lease titles (5.7%)
All suburbs in Kapiti Coast District
Suburbs like Ōtaki
The closest match on the measures on this site is Waipukurau in Central Hawke's Bay District, nearest on stand-alone houses, population change, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waipukurau | Central Hawke's Bay District | 1.7% | No data | 44.8 | stand-alone houses, population change, distance to a hospital |
| Foxton | Horowhenua District | 2.5% | $495 | 41.4 | population change, older residents, stand-alone houses |
| Marton | Rangitikei District | 1.8% | $480 | 48.8 | stand-alone houses, population change, household income |
| Paraparaumu | Kapiti Coast District | 11.2% | $620 | 44.5 | stand-alone houses, land per flat, distance to the coast |
| Ōtaki Beach | Kapiti Coast District | 5.8% | $533 | 46 | near a frequent stop, land per flat, born overseas |
Questions
What is the rent in Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast District?
New tenancies in Otaki (the rent area for part of Ōtaki) had a median rent of $525 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 $460 to $585.
What schools are in Ōtaki, Kapiti Coast District?
LINZ maps 6 school sites inside Ōtaki, including Otaki College, Otaki School and St Peter Chanel School (Otaki). The nearest secondary school to its centre is Otaki College (0.2 km in a straight line). The secondary-school home zone covering most of its titles is Otaki College; check the school's own zone map for any address.