Living in Fairy Spring: schools, census and property titles
The 901 live property titles in Fairy Spring, Rotorua District are mostly freehold (77%), as recorded by LINZ on 30 September 2026. Cross-lease titles number 151 (16.8%), well above the national share of 8.7%.
Fairy Spring cross-lease titles
- Cross-lease titles
- 151
- Share of live titles
- 16.8%
- Live titles in total
- 901
- Rotorua District share
- 12.8%
- New Zealand share
- 8.7%
- Rank by share in Rotorua District
- 7 of 20
- Rank by share in New Zealand
- joint 180 of 644
Fairy Spring at a glance
Where Fairy Spring differs most from suburbs across New Zealand: typical distance to the coast (higher than 93% of NZ suburbs).
Higher or lower is not better or worse. Sources and limits
Start here
What the data tells you
Recorded facts
- Fairy Spring is listed under Rotorua District.
- 901 live titles are recorded here, including 151 cross-lease titles (16.8%).
- The page includes 2023 Census context for the statistical area that represents this suburb.
Contextual observations
- Cross-lease titles make up 16.8% of the recorded title mix. That describes the suburb, not any particular home.
- Unit titles account for 3.9% 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
- A usable MBIE new-tenancy rent figure is not available for this suburb.
- Mapped public-transport context is not available for this suburb.
Title mix in Fairy Spring
| Title type | Live titles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 694 | 77.0% |
| Cross lease | 151 | 16.8% |
| Unit title | 35 | 3.9% |
| Leasehold | 16 | 1.8% |
| Other record types | 5 | 0.6% |
| Total | 901 | 100% |
Counts are titles, not homes; the register can lag conversions, so check the certificate of title. Sources and limits
How Fairy Spring compares
Nationally, 8.7% of live titles are cross-lease; Fairy Spring is about 1.9 times the national share (8.7%).
Across Rotorua District as a whole, the share is 12.8%; Fairy Spring is higher than the overall Rotorua District share (12.8%).
How cross-leases in Fairy Spring are set up
Three-flat schemes are less common here (4%, against 12% nationally).
Carports appear in fewer leases (5% of schemes, against 13% nationally).
Fewer schemes have four or more flats on one section (5%, against 11% nationally).
| Scheme structure | Fairy Spring | Rotorua District | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-lease schemes (shared sections) | 80 | 1,958 | 87,651 |
| Two-flat schemes | 91.2% | 82.2% | 76.2% |
| Three-flat schemes | 3.8% | 9.2% | 12.2% |
| Four or more flats | 5.0% | 8.3% | 11.4% |
| Typical section size (from the titles, not a survey) | 1,011 m² | 1,022 m² | 908 m² |
| Typical land per flat | 506 m² | 506 m² | 408 m² |
| Schemes with a garage written into a lease | 20.0% | 23.4% | 28.4% |
| Schemes with a carport in a lease | 5.0% | 5.5% | 13.3% |
| Schemes with a separate exclusive-use area | 3.8% | 4.0% | 4.5% |
| Schemes referring to more than one flats plan (usually redrawn; not by itself a problem) | 21.2% | 27.5% | 35.6% |
| Median year of earliest current title | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 |
| Two-flat schemes on 700 m² or more | 73 | 1,565 | 54,978 |
Unit titles and leasehold in Fairy Spring
Unit titles are 4% of Fairy Spring's titles, above Rotorua District (3%) and well below New Zealand (8%). They belong to 3 developments, each run by a body corporate; half have 10 units or fewer.
16 titles (1.8%) are leasehold.
Stated lease terms, as at 30 September 2026:
| Stated lease term | Titles |
|---|---|
| Stated term has ended | 0 |
| Under 10 years left | 0 |
| 10 to 50 years left | 0 |
| More than 50 years left | 8 |
| Term mentions renewal (including perpetually renewable) | 7 |
| Term not stated or not readable | 1 |
New titles in Fairy Spring since 2020
87 of Fairy Spring's current titles (10%) were first issued since 2020, above Rotorua District's suburbs with new-title figures taken together (8%) and slightly below New Zealand (12%).
That rate is in the highest quarter of 20 in Rotorua District.
29% are unit titles, in 2 developments; most of the rest are freehold.
| Title type | Since 2020 | Since 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 53 | 18 |
| Unit title | 25 | 25 |
| Cross-lease | 3 | 2 |
| Leasehold | 4 | 3 |
| Other | 2 | 2 |
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 Fairy Spring
The typical building in Fairy Spring stands on ground sloping 0.8° (read on an 8 m grid, so short steep banks may be understated), in the flattest quarter of 20 in Rotorua District.
Nearly all of its 1,300 measured buildings (96%) stand on ground under 5°.
The land rises from about 280 m to 529 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 Fairy Spring
Fairy Spring is inland: the typical title is 43 km from the sea or harbour edge, and none is 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 Fairy Spring: 2023 Census
About 77% of Fairy Spring's titles are in the census area Fairy Springs (a Stats NZ statistical area), so these figures describe that area, not Fairy Spring exactly.
Fewer adults hold a degree in Fairy Springs than across Rotorua District: 16.1% against 20.3%.
| Measure | Fairy Springs | Mangakakahi Central | Rotorua District whole council |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usual residents | 1,791 | 60 | 74,058 |
| Change since 2018 | +0.5% | −42.9% | +3.0% |
| Change since 2013 | +13.9% | −28.6% | +13.4% |
| Median age | 33.8 | 51.2 | 36.6 |
| Households | 618 | 30 | 25,413 |
| Own or part-own their home (including family trusts) | 62.6% | — | 64.5% |
| Not owned and not in a family trust (mostly renting) | 36.9% | — | 35.5% |
| Median household income | $82,300 | $39,900 | $87,700 |
| Median weekly rent, renting households | $424 | $375 | $400 |
| Dwellings unoccupied on census night | 5.5% | 15.4% | 12.8% |
| Ages | |||
| Under 15 | 22.4% | 15.0% | 21.7% |
| 15 to 29 | 21.8% | 10.0% | 19.0% |
| 30 to 64 | 42.2% | 55.0% | 43.7% |
| 65 and over | 13.4% | 20.0% | 15.6% |
| Where people came from | |||
| Born overseas | 16.2% | 15.8% | 18.1% |
| Of those born overseas, arrived in the last 5 years | 24.5% | — | 22.9% |
| Lived elsewhere in New Zealand 5 years ago (of all residents, including children born since) | 44.4% | 63.2% | 44.8% |
| Lived overseas 5 years ago (of all residents) | 4.6% | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| Moved here in the last year (of all residents) | 19.8% | 15.8% | 18.9% |
| Work and study (people 15 and over) | |||
| Bachelor degree or higher | 16.1% | — | 20.3% |
| Employed full-time | 53.1% | 58.8% | 50.3% |
| Unemployed (share of everyone 15 and over, not the unemployment rate) | 4.5% | 5.9% | 4.4% |
| Managers and professionals (of those employed) | 37.0% | — | 41.0% |
| Median personal income | $39,000 | $39,300 | $39,000 |
| Getting to work (of those employed) | |||
| Work from home | 12.1% | — | 14.2% |
| Car, truck or van | 81.0% | — | 79.6% |
| Bus, train or ferry | 0.7% | — | 0.9% |
| Walk or cycle | 5.9% | — | 4.1% |
| Households and families | |||
| One-person households | 23.0% | — | 23.5% |
| Average people per household | 2.8 | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| Households with no motor vehicle | 5.4% | — | 6.1% |
| Crowded households (need one or more extra bedrooms) | 10.5% | — | 8.8% |
| Couples with children (of families) | 41.3% | — | 38.7% |
| Couples without children | 34.8% | — | 38.1% |
| One-parent families | 23.9% | — | 23.2% |
| Homes | |||
| Separate (stand-alone) houses | 83.5% | — | 81.6% |
| Average bedrooms | 3 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Heated with a heat pump | 69.3% | — | 59.6% |
| Damp, always or sometimes | 28.4% | — | 23.6% |
| Mould over A4 size, always or sometimes | 22.0% | — | 18.7% |
Schools and hospitals near Fairy Spring
One school site lies inside Fairy Spring: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu (Composite).
- Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu (Composite)
- Nearest school: Selwyn School (1.1 km)
- Nearest secondary school: Western Heights High School (1.4 km)
- Nearest public general hospital: Rotorua Hospital (3.6 km)
School enrolment zones in Fairy Spring: a guide
Four secondary schools have a home zone covering most of Fairy Spring's titles, among them John Paul College, Rotorua Boys' High School and Rotorua Girls' High School.
- Rotorua School (primary, Years 1–8): about 10% of titles
- John Paul College (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Rotorua Boys' High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Rotorua Girls' High School (secondary): all or nearly all titles
- Western Heights High School (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
Places of worship near Fairy Spring
OpenStreetMap maps 1 place of worship inside Fairy Spring (1 Christian).
Nearest mapped place of each tradition within 10 km:
- Christian: Kingdom Hall Of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1.0 km away
- Hindu: Hindu Heritage Centre Rotorua, 4.3 km away
- Muslim: Rotorua Islamic Association, 5.1 km away
- Sikh: Gurdwara Sri Guru Amardas Sahib Ji, 6.1 km away
Listed as facilities for access; not an indicator of who lives here. Sources and limits
Other suburbs in Rotorua District with many cross-leases
- Glenholme: 569 cross-lease titles (29.6%)
- Ōwhata: 365 cross-lease titles (12.6%)
- Victoria: 355 cross-lease titles (34.2%)
- Western Heights: 320 cross-lease titles (25.4%)
- Mangakakahi: 283 cross-lease titles (16.1%)
- Koutu: 277 cross-lease titles (27.8%)
- Ngongotahā: 263 cross-lease titles (12.4%)
- Pukehangi: 243 cross-lease titles (13.5%)
All suburbs in Rotorua District
Suburbs like Fairy Spring
The closest match on the measures on this site is Hillcrest, Rotorua District in Rotorua District, nearest on schools, commuting by public transport, home ownership. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest, Rotorua District | Rotorua District | 10.5% | $640 | 33.1 | schools, commuting by public transport, home ownership |
| Selwyn Heights | Rotorua District | 14.0% | $625 | 32.2 | children, commuting by public transport, distance to the coast |
| Utuhina | Rotorua District | 17.7% | $620 | 36.2 | elevation, slope, commuting by public transport |
| Pukehangi | Rotorua District | 13.5% | No data | 30 | schools, land per flat, recent movers within NZ |
| Kawaha Point | Rotorua District | 18.2% | $665 | 39.6 | land per flat, schools, population change |
Questions
What schools are in Fairy Spring?
LINZ maps 1 school site inside Fairy Spring: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu. The nearest secondary school to its centre is Western Heights High School (1.4 km in a straight line). Secondary-school home zones covering most of its titles include John Paul College, Rotorua Boys' High School and Rotorua Girls' High School; check the school's own zone map for any address.