Postponement of rates payments for residential properties

Criteria for postponement of rates

You must meet the following criteria to be considered for rates postponement:

• You must be the current owner of the rating unit and have owned the property for at least two years.
• You must use the rating unit solely as your residence.
• The postponed rates will not exceed 80 per cent of the available equity in the property. The available equity is the difference between our valuation of the property at the most recent revaluation and the value of any debt against the property if you have insured the property for its full value.
• You or your authorised agent must apply.

Conditions of postponement of rates

• We recommend that you ask for advice from a financial adviser on the impact of postponing your rates and if it is a good option for you.
• We will postpone payment of the residual rates (what is left after any optional payment) if you meet the criteria.
• We may add a postponement fee each year to the postponed rates. The fee will cover the period from when the rates were originally due to when they are paid. The fee will not exceed our administrative and financial costs of the postponement.
• The postponement will apply from the beginning of the rating year when you apply for postponement, although we may backdate the postponement application, depending on the circumstances.
• Once the postponed rates are equal to, or greater than, 80 per cent of the available equity in the property, no further rates will be postponed. Any postponement will apply until one of the situations listed below occurs, at which time the postponed rates (and any postponement fee) will be immediately payable:
• on your death
• you no longer own the rating unit
• you stop using the property as your residence
• a date set by us in a particular case.
• You can pay all or part of the postponed rates at any time.
• You can choose to postpone a lesser amount of rates than the full amount that you would be entitled to postpone under the policy.
• Postponed rates will be registered as a statutory land charge on the rating unit's title.
• For the rates to be postponed, we will need evidence each year, of your property insurance and the value of debt against the property, including mortgages and loans by way of a declaration.

How to apply

Download and fill out the application form below.

​Once you have filled out the application and attached any supporting documents, you can send it to us by post or email.

Post

Auckland Council

  Attn: Rates team

  Private Bag 92300

  Victoria Street

  Auckland 1142

Email

rates@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

More information

Call us on 09 301 0101 if you have any questions.