Intergenerational homesharing in New Zealand: an emerging practice

How widespread is homesharing in New Zealand?

There is no dedicated legal status and no national matching network. A July 2022 Office for Seniors report found only two small-scale homeshare programmes operating anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand, each supporting just a few pairs at the time of writing.

The need is clearer than the supply. In 2023 the director of the Office for Seniors noted that people aged 65 and over make up nearly half of New Zealanders who live alone, and research shows most older people want to stay in their own homes.

Which schemes have operated?

In Hawke's Bay, Age Concern's Let's Share started in early 2020 and ran for about eighteen months. Virtual Eastern Bays Homeshare in the Bay of Plenty ran for around four years from 2018. In Nelson, Homeshare for Her relaunched in September 2023.

What does a typical arrangement involve?

The 2022 report describes sharers buying their own food, paying part of the utility bills, being present overnight and giving up to ten hours of help a week. After a short trial, pairs usually sign a twelve-month agreement that can be renewed.

Did the Auckland pilot work?

Not yet. Funded by the Office for Seniors and run by Age Concern Auckland, it aimed for 40 to 50 homeshares. The interim evaluation published in August 2026 found none established by late May 2024: two matches had fallen through and four were being vetted.

What legal rules apply to a room in your home?

The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 does not cover someone renting a room in the owner's house; that person is a flatmate. Their rights rest entirely on the agreement made with the main occupant, which is why a detailed written document matters so much.

Where do disputes go?

Disagreements between an occupant and a flatmate are heard by the Disputes Tribunal, not the Tenancy Tribunal. Tenancy Services does not advise on these conflicts and refers people to Community Law Centres or Citizens Advice Bureau, both of which offer free help.

Is there a template agreement?

Yes. Tenancy Services publishes a flat and house sharing agreement for flatmates and boarders. It covers contributions, bills, notice and house rules, and homeshare pairs can add the agreed weekly tasks and any trial period to the same document.

Could a benefit be affected?

This is a sensitive point. The 2022 report noted that whether a homeowner keeps the living alone payment while hosting a sharer still needed clarification. The Auckland pilot set the sharer's contribution to offset any reduction in that allowance.

Who can take part?

In the Auckland pilot, householders had to be at least 65, living independently in a suitable home, with the owner's consent if they rented. Sharers originally had to be 23 or older; that threshold was later lowered to 21 after feedback.

Who actually signed up?

The profiles were unexpected. Most householders were in their eighties and nineties, while sharers were mainly women from their late thirties to their sixties. Most householders wanted practical help with tasks more than companionship, and many preferred an older female sharer.

What does it cost?

No reference rent is published in New Zealand. Contributions are negotiated case by case between householder and sharer, often with a coordinator. The table summarises the financial rules recorded for the schemes documented in the evaluation and the 2022 report.

Is board income taxable?

The sources reviewed do not settle this for homeshare arrangements. Where a regular financial contribution is paid, it is sensible to check with Inland Revenue or an accountant before signing, particularly for hosts receiving superannuation or other payments.

How can you start when few programmes exist?

In most regions there is no programme, so many pairs will need to organise things themselves or with a local community group. The 2022 report recommends practical do-it-yourself guidance for exactly this situation where agency support is not viable.

1. Ask Age Concern or HANZA whether a programme operates in your region.
2. Write down the householder's needs and the weekly hours of help expected.
3. Require a police check and references from the prospective sharer.
4. Inspect the room or sleepout for safety and privacy.
5. Complete the Tenancy Services template and add the agreed tasks.
6. Agree a trial period and a clear way to end the arrangement.
7. Tell any agency paying benefits about the change in household.

What should you avoid?

The Auckland evaluation and regional experience highlight several recurring problems. They affect both the preparation of individual pairs and the organisations trying to launch a service with limited funding, few paid staff and little public recognition.

• Assuming the sharer has tenant protections under the Act.
• Launching a service without first building public awareness.
• Underestimating staffing: the pilot was funded for 1.5 roles but needed two.
• Ignoring how a contribution could affect the living alone payment.
• Expecting the sharer to provide care that belongs to home support services.

Why is supply so limited?

Public awareness is low and funding cycles are short. According to HANZA, quoted in the evaluation, a new programme typically needs about three years of establishment funding before it can produce a steady flow of matches.

What are the alternatives?

Flatting is common across the country and lets owners take a flatmate without a formal intergenerational element. A sleepout, a small separate unit in the garden, was also accepted in the Auckland pilot as a way to give both people more privacy.

Can international students find a homeshare?

At present it is very difficult, because active programmes are rare and tend to favour sharers already settled locally. Most international students rely on university halls or ordinary flatting, checking first that their visa conditions allow the arrangement they choose.

Is homeshare a care service?

No. The 2026 evaluation states plainly that homeshare is not a substitute for home-based care or other services. The sharer offers practical help and presence, while medical and personal care needs remain with qualified professionals.

How are Māori and Pasifika communities involved?

The 2022 report recommends involving Māori in designing and piloting programmes, consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and developing culturally appropriate approaches for Pasifika and other communities, where extended family living arrangements are already common.

Will homeshare grow?

Nothing is guaranteed. The 2022 report called for a sustainable funding model shared between central government, councils, Māori organisations, NGOs and philanthropy. The final evaluation of the Auckland pilot should shape what the government does next.