March 09, 2026

#regional: 203 New Rental Homes Planned for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Land in Mount Albert

Matthew Tukaki Posted On March 9, 2026

A major new housing development is planned for Auckland with Simplicity Living announcing a 203-home build-to-rent project on land owned by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in Mount Albert.

The development will be built on a 1.4-hectare site and is intended to provide long-term rental housing as part of a growing build-to-rent sector in Aotearoa. The project forms part of Simplicity Living’s wider effort to increase the supply of high-quality rental homes in urban centres.

Build-to-rent developments differ from traditional housing projects because the homes are constructed specifically for long-term rental rather than individual sale. The properties are typically owned and managed by a single operator, allowing for consistent management, maintenance and stable tenancy arrangements.

The Mount Albert project will include a mix of apartments designed for long-term tenants, with construction expected to contribute to Auckland’s urgently needed housing supply. The development will also add to Simplicity Living’s growing national portfolio of rental housing developments.

Simplicity Living is backed by funds managed by Simplicity, a KiwiSaver and investment fund provider that has been expanding its housing programme with the aim of building thousands of rental homes across New Zealand. The organisation has already completed several build-to-rent developments in Auckland and has hundreds more homes either under construction or in planning stages.

For Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, the project forms part of the iwi’s broader strategy of developing land assets across Tāmaki Makaurau to generate revenue and support social, economic and housing outcomes for the hapū. Tribal property developments are designed to create long-term income streams while contributing to housing supply in the region.

The Mount Albert development highlights the growing role of iwi partnerships in addressing housing challenges across Auckland, particularly as demand for long-term rental accommodation continues to rise.

Once completed, the project is expected to deliver more than 200 new homes to the city’s rental market while strengthening collaboration between Māori landowners and private housing developers in delivering large-scale urban housing solutions.