MBIE has just backed Christchurch City Council in a ruling that could reshape how short-term rentals get treated across the country. Here’s what happened, and what it means if you’re renting out a property in Queenstown.
What happened in Christchurch
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ruled that Christchurch unit owners have to ask for permission to offer a property as an Airbnb — or stop. Christchurch City Council sought the determination because it believed the owners of a Gloucester Street unit had changed the property’s use from its consented household use by making it available for short-term accommodation.
The unit had been issued a code compliance certificate in May 2025 as a multi-unit dwelling, on the ground floor with a separate unit above. The council told MBIE it had no evidence the unit had ever been used for its consented purpose, and it had been advertised online as visitor accommodation, bookable by one group at a time for a night or more.
MBIE agreed with the council. The determination — 2026/026 — also flagged that once a change of use is established, additional Building Code requirements can come into play, including access and facilities for people with disabilities.
It’s already prompting a bigger crackdown
This isn’t staying contained to one Gloucester Street unit. A Christchurch city councillor is now calling for a bed register to crack down on units being used for short-stay accommodation without permission.
Christchurch employed a compliance officer in August 2025, and investigations found 41 of around 50 properties checked were not complying with the rules — 10 converted back to long-term rentals, two were sold. Because so few properties have been checked so far, one councillor described the compliance officer as a “pilot programme” for what could happen if enforcement got more rigorous.
Where does this leave Queenstown?
Queenstown already has its own resource consent framework for short-term letting — this isn’t a new concept here. In Queenstown, short-term visitor accommodation requires a resource consent in many instances, with different rules across the region for how many days accommodation can be offered.
What’s changed is the enforcement mood. Christchurch has shown that:
- Councils are willing to seek formal MBIE determinations rather than let ambiguity sit
- A change of use finding can drag in Building Code requirements you weren’t expecting
- Compliance officers and audits are becoming real tools, not just a threat on paper
Queenstown has been here before, too. Councils have previously audited hundreds of local owners advertising short-term stays and pushed them to register, get consent, or stop. The Christchurch ruling gives other councils, including QLDC, a clear precedent to point to if they want to tighten enforcement further.
What owners should do now
If you’re running — or thinking about running — a short-term let in Queenstown:
- Check your consent status. Know whether your title and existing consents actually allow short-term letting, and for how many nights.
- Don’t assume “everyone’s doing it” is protection. Christchurch’s audit found the vast majority of checked properties weren’t compliant. That’s not a safe position to be in if enforcement ramps up here too.
- Think about Building Code exposure. A change-of-use finding can bring extra requirements into play beyond just the resource consent question.
Property management done properly
We keep an eye on regulatory shifts like this so our owners aren’t caught out. Whether you’re weighing up short-term versus long-term, or just want your current setup checked against the rules, we’ll give you a straight answer — no guesswork, no surprises.
Thinking about your Airbnb or considering the switch to long-term management? Let’s have a no-pressure chat.
021 0225 8265 | [email protected]
