Living in Nelson South: rents, schools, census and property titles
The 2,438 live property titles in Nelson South, Nelson City are mostly freehold (78%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 204 (8.4%), close to the national share of 8.7%.
Nelson South cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 204
- Share of live titles
- 8.4%
- Live titles in total
- 2,438
- Nelson City share
- 5.3%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Nelson City
- 7 of 15
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 368 of 644
Nelson South at a glance
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Nelson South is listed under Nelson City.
- 2,438 live titles are recorded here, including 204 cross-lease titles (8.4%).
- 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 8.4% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 2.3% 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 Nelson South
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 1,910 | 78.3% |
| Cross lease | 204 | 8.4% |
| Unit title | 56 | 2.3% |
| Leasehold | 264 | 10.8% |
| Other record types | 4 | 0.2% |
| Total | 2,438 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Nelson South compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Nelson South is close to the national share (8.7%).
Across Nelson City as a whole, the share is 5.3%; Nelson South is about 1.6 times the overall Nelson City share (5.3%).
How cross-leases in Nelson South are set up
Fewer schemes refer to more than one flats plan (18%, against 36% nationally), usually because a plan was redrawn.
More schemes have four or more flats on one section (16%, against 11% nationally), up to 12.
| Scheme structure | Nelson South | Nelson City | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 83 | 795 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 73.5% | 69.4% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 10.8% | 15.3% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 15.7% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 931 m² | 840 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 339 m² | 381 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 22.9% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 12.0% | 8.9% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 0.0% | 1.9% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 18.1% | 24.4% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1991 | 1991 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 36 | 379 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Nelson South
Unit titles are 2% of Nelson South's titles, well below Nelson City (3%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 4 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 12 units or fewer.
264 titles (10.8%) are leasehold, well above the national share (1.2%).
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 | 0 |
| Under 10 years left | 1 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 1 |
| More than 50 years left | 258 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 4 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 0 |
New titles in Nelson South since 2020
101 of Nelson South's current titles (4%) were first issued since 2020, well below Nelson City's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and well below New Zealand (12%).
30% are unit titles, in 1 development; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 64 | 29 |
| Unit title | 30 | 30 |
| Cross-lease | 3 | 3 |
| Leasehold | 3 | 1 |
| Other | 1 | 1 |
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 Nelson South
The typical building in Nelson South stands on ground sloping 4.7° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated).
About 14% of its 2,741 measured buildings stand on ground of 15° or more.
The land rises from about 2 m to 390 m, and 44% of all of it, including reserves and gullies, is 15° or steeper.
Unusually much of the sloping land faces north: 39%, 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 Nelson South
Nelson South is inland: the typical title is 1.8 km from the sea or harbour edge, and fewer than 1 in 2,000 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 Nelson South: 2023 Census
Nelson South's titles fall in 5 census areas (Stats NZ statistical areas). The 3 shown below hold 94% of its titles; their figures are shown side by side and are not added together.
More workers walk or cycle to work in Rutherford than across Nelson City: 32.5% against 14.6%.
More adults hold a degree in Rutherford than across Nelson City: 40.8% against 26.8%.
More workers work from home in Rutherford than across Nelson City: 19.2% against 14.8%.
| Measure | Rutherford 35% of titles | Victory 31% of titles | Grampians 29% of titles | Nelson City whole council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 2,547 | 1,521 | 2,538 | 52,584 |
| Change since 2018 | −1.4% | −5.6% | +5.2% | +3.3% |
| Change since 2013 | +2.3% | +0.6% | +13.6% | +13.2% |
| Median age | 44.2 | 36.3 | 39.7 | 44 |
| Households | 990 | 567 | 894 | 20,577 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 67.3% | 59.3% | 59.4% | 71.2% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 32.7% | 40.7% | 40.6% | 28.8% |
| Median household income | $91,900 | $79,900 | $81,600 | $81,800 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $450 | $415 | $400 | $430 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 10.1% | 4.5% | 6.2% | 7.4% |
| Ages | ||||
| Under 15 | 16.5% | 18.5% | 17.5% | 16.6% |
| 15 to 29 | 16.1% | 20.9% | 16.7% | 15.6% |
| 30 to 64 | 47.9% | 47.9% | 50.5% | 46.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.4% | 12.6% | 15.2% | 21.6% |
| Where people came from | ||||
| Born overseas | 33.4% | 29.0% | 29.3% | 26.5% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 27.4% | 26.2% | 27.6% | 22.9% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 41.4% | 41.6% | 48.1% | 43.0% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 6.2% | 4.8% | 6.9% | 5.0% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 20.1% | 19.0% | 21.4% | 18.2% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | ||||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 40.8% | 19.8% | 27.3% | 26.8% |
| Employed full-time | 47.4% | 49.4% | 49.1% | 47.1% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 2.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 49.6% | 33.8% | 42.6% | 42.2% |
| Median personal income | $41,000 | $35,900 | $37,700 | $38,800 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | ||||
| Work from home | 19.2% | 12.4% | 12.8% | 14.8% |
| Car, truck or van | 46.3% | 65.0% | 66.4% | 67.5% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.6% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Walk or cycle | 32.5% | 20.7% | 16.7% | 14.6% |
| Households and families | ||||
| One-person households | 23.1% | 26.8% | 28.4% | 27.1% |
| Average people per household | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 6.4% | 8.6% | 7.4% | 5.6% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 4.7% | 7.2% | 5.5% | 4.1% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 36.6% | 40.8% | 39.2% | 36.4% |
| Couples without children | 50.9% | 33.6% | 42.7% | 48.1% |
| One-parent families | 12.5% | 25.6% | 18.1% | 15.5% |
| Homes | ||||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 76.4% | 80.5% | 78.3% | 78.4% |
| Average bedrooms | 3 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 72.4% | 72.7% | 75.4% | 74.4% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 15.6% | 23.2% | 14.9% | 14.0% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 9.6% | 18.8% | 13.3% | 9.6% |
Rents around Nelson South
New tenancies in Rutherford in the April–June 2026 quarter had a median rent of $613 a week (up 1.3% on a year earlier). That is slightly above the typical suburb in Nelson City ($555), and close to the national median ($600); 2nd highest of 12 in Nelson City.
| April–June 2026 | Rutherford 35% of titles | Grampians 29% of titles | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median weekly rent, new tenancies | $613 | $340 | $600 |
| Middle half of rents | $495–$658 | $240–$480 | $490–$700 |
| Change in median on a year earlier | +1.3% | +3.0% | +0.2% |
| Bonds lodged in the quarter | 24 | 51 | 40,827 |
Schools and hospitals near Nelson South
LINZ maps 4 school sites inside Nelson South, among them Hampden Street School (Contributing) and Nelson College (Secondary (Year 9-15)).
- Hampden Street School (Contributing)
- Nelson College (Secondary (Year 9-15))
- Nelson Intermediate (Intermediate)
- Victory Primary School (Contributing)
- Nearest school: Nelson College (0.2 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Nelson College (0.2 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Nelson Hospital (0.2 km)
School enrolment zones in Nelson South: a guide
The largest primary-school zone share of Nelson South's titles is in Hampden Street School's home zone (about 75%).
- Hampden Street School (primary, Years 1–6): about 75% of titles
About 25% of Nelson South's titles are outside every mapped home zone.
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 Nelson South
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Nelson South (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Victory Church, under 1 km away
- Muslim: Nelson Islamic Cultural Society (NICS), 1.6 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Nelson City with many cross-leases
- Stoke: 474 cross-lease titles (6.3%)
- Tāhunanui: 257 cross-lease titles (12.4%)
- The Wood: 134 cross-lease titles (7.9%)
- Toi Toi: 117 cross-lease titles (11.6%)
- Washington Valley: 100 cross-lease titles (11.9%)
- Richmond: 94 cross-lease titles (1.1%)
- Annesbrook: 76 cross-lease titles (11.4%)
- Bishopdale: 59 cross-lease titles (12.9%)
Suburbs like Nelson South
The closest match on the measures on this site is The Wood in Nelson City, nearest on commuting by public transport, cross-lease share, distance to the coast. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wood | Nelson City | 7.9% | $550 | 49.5 | commuting by public transport, cross-lease share, distance to the coast |
| The Brook | Nelson City | 4.2% | $500 | 39.7 | distance to the coast, commuting by public transport, population change |
| Beckenham | Christchurch City | 18.3% | $620 | 42.7 | damp homes, population change, rent |
| Opawa | Christchurch City | 13.0% | No data | 47.6 | working from home, damp homes, new titles |
| Wakatu | Nelson City | 8.7% | $568 | 49.7 | distance to the coast, cross-lease share, elevation |
Questions
What is the rent in Nelson South?
New tenancies in Rutherford (the rent area for part of Nelson South) had a median rent of $613 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 $495 to $658.
What schools are in Nelson South?
LINZ maps 4 school sites inside Nelson South, including Hampden Street School, Nelson College and Nelson Intermediate. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Nelson College (0.2 km in a straight line). Being near a school does not mean being in its zone.