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If your main concern is staying securely housed on NZ Super without being forced to move because of rent increases, the parties differ quite sharply. The 2026 election is on 7 November 2026. New Zealand Parliament dissolved ahead of tight November vote

Here’s a neutral comparison of the major parties’ published positions, focusing on the issues most relevant to an older private renter.

At a glance

Party	Rent increases / secure tenure	Public & affordable housing	Help with housing costs
Greens	2% annual rent cap; end no-cause evictions; stronger rental standards	Build tens of thousands of public homes	Would reverse landlord tax cuts; broader cost-of-living measures
Labour	Has previously supported no-cause eviction restrictions and annual rent limits; 2026 programme emphasises more social housing	$2.9b Kāinga Ora building programme plus community housing	Would reverse the 2026 social-housing rent increase
National	No announced general rent cap; emphasis on increasing supply	More targeted social housing; additional 1,800–2,250 homes funded	Higher Accommodation Supplement, but social-housing minimum contribution rises
ACT	Opposes rent controls; argues supply and landlord incentives are the better route	Supports more targeted social housing and defined social-housing tenures	Supports shifting more assistance toward private renters
NZ First	Has proposed a Seniors Housing Plan and higher Accommodation Supplement for older renters	Supports social/public housing, particularly seniors' housing	Explicit focus on increasing Accommodation Supplement for SuperGold holders
Te Pāti Māori	Supports around 2% rent caps and ending no-cause evictions	Major expansion of public/affordable housing	Broader income and housing measures, with particular focus on Māori housing

Greens

The Greens have the most explicit proposal aimed at the particular problem you describe: a landlord would not simply be able to raise your rent substantially from one year to the next.

Their 2026 housing policy proposes:

• limiting annual rent increases to 2%;
• restoring protection against no-cause evictions;
• introducing a Renter's Rights Bill;
• introducing an independently enforced Rental Warrant of Fitness; and
• building tens of thousands of public and affordable homes. Greens announce plan to end homelessness & fix housing crisis - Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

They would also reverse tax changes benefiting landlords, arguing that this would make housing less attractive as an investment and help shift the housing system toward homes rather than investment assets. Greens commit to tax the super-rich and large corporates fairly, cut income tax for 96%

For an older private renter: the important distinction is that the Greens' approach directly addresses both parts of your worry—the size of rent increases and the security of your tenancy.

Labour

Labour's current 2026 programme puts considerable emphasis on getting Kāinga Ora building again. Its "Start Work Now" plan allocates $2.9 billion of capital for Kāinga Ora to build more state houses, alongside $745 million in operating funding for additional income-related rent subsidies and community housing. Start Work Now - NZ Labour

Labour has also said it would reverse the 2026 increase in the minimum rent contribution for social-housing tenants, which is scheduled to rise from 25% to 30% of income. National says that increase will affect about 84,000 households; Labour has described the change as harmful to people already struggling with housing costs. LABOUR'S HIDDEN BILL

On private renting, Labour's previous government introduced the restrictions on no-cause terminations and limited rent increases to once a year. Making housing more affordable for all New Zealanders - NZ Labour Party However, I would distinguish those existing/previous policies from the Greens' new 2% cap: Labour's published 2026 election material does not currently set out an equivalent 2% annual ceiling.

For you: Labour's strongest directly relevant 2026 proposal is probably expanding the supply of state/community housing, with a potentially important benefit if you could obtain a secure public tenancy.

National

National's approach is substantially different. Rather than imposing a rent ceiling, it argues for more housing supply and a rental market with stronger incentives for landlords.

Its 2026 policy programme doesn't announce a general rent cap. 2026 Election Policy | National Party

On social housing, National's government has announced:

• an additional 1,800–2,250 social homes through its Flexible Fund;
• tighter targeting of social housing toward people with the greatest and continuing need;
• exploration of defined social-housing tenancy durations, with exemptions where need remains; and
• more regular reviews of tenants' circumstances. More social homes, better targeted | National Party

There's an important trade-off here for an older renter. From 1 April 2027, the minimum Income-Related Rent contribution for social housing is scheduled to rise from 25% to 30% of income. National says the money saved will largely fund higher maximum Accommodation Supplement rates, increasing support by $10–$30 a week for eligible private renters. Delivering fairer social housing | National Party

So National's approach is essentially more assistance for some private renters, more targeted social housing, but no general rent freeze/cap and potentially less permanent security in social housing.

ACT

ACT is opposed to rent controls. It argues that rent caps discourage landlords from supplying rental properties and that increasing supply is a better way to restrain rents. ACT New Zealand

ACT supports the Government's 2026 social-housing changes, including:

• moving social-housing contributions toward 30% of income;
• increasing Accommodation Supplement support for eligible private renters;
• defined social-housing tenancy durations; and
• regular reviews of social-housing eligibility. ACT New Zealand

Thus, for someone in your situation, ACT's philosophy is quite different from the Greens': don't regulate the rent increase directly; increase housing supply and target government assistance instead.

New Zealand First

NZ First is particularly worth looking at because it has explicitly identified older renters as a policy issue.

Its published policy includes:

• increasing the Accommodation Supplement for SuperGold card holders;
• retaining the Winter Energy Payment; and
• developing a Seniors Housing Plan to address the growing number of seniors living in rental accommodation and requiring Accommodation Supplement support. 2023 Election Policies - NZ First

It also supports social housing, specifically including seniors' housing and public rental housing projects. 2023 Election Policies - NZ First

NZ First has additionally stated in 2026 that it does not support raising the NZ Super age to 67 or means-testing Super. Winston Peters - “Seniors Sole Defender” - New Zealand First

One important qualification: the detailed housing/seniors material I found on NZ First's website is still largely presented under its earlier policy framework, so I would treat the Seniors Housing Plan and Accommodation Supplement proposals as the clearest published commitments, rather than assuming every older policy detail has been carried unchanged into the final 2026 manifesto.

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori's 2026 housing platform calls for more public and affordable housing, support for building on Māori land, and measures to address housing insecurity. Te Pāti Māori is the assertion of our mana motuhake and our liberation

Its published 2026 policy material also supports:

• roughly 2% limits on annual rent increases;
• ending no-cause evictions;
• borrowing to build tens of thousands of new state/public homes; and
• removing tax advantages for residential property investors. Te Pāti Māori Policies 2026 | Every Position Sourced

Those policies are especially directed toward Māori housing needs, so their relevance to an individual voter depends partly on circumstances and eligibility.

One thing I'd pay particular attention to in your situation

Because you said NZ Super is your main income, I wouldn't look only at headline rent policy. I'd separate the question into four things:

1. Can my landlord raise my rent substantially?
   Greens and Te Pāti Māori have the clearest proposed numerical limit: around 2%.

2. Can I be made to leave even if I pay my rent and comply with the tenancy agreement?
   Greens and Te Pāti Māori explicitly propose restoring stronger protection against no-cause eviction. Labour has a record of having introduced such protection, but its current 2026 platform is less explicit on a new tenancy package.

3. If private rent becomes unaffordable, is there somewhere secure I can move to?
   Labour, Greens, National, NZ First and Te Pāti Māori all support additional public/social housing, but they differ substantially over how much, who qualifies, and whether social tenancies should be long-term or time-limited.

4. Will government assistance cover more of my rent?
   National's current policy is particularly relevant here: it proposes increasing maximum Accommodation Supplement rates by $10–$30 per week. NZ First has separately proposed increasing the Accommodation Supplement for SuperGold holders. Delivering fairer social housing | National Party

A useful way to compare the parties for your circumstances

Rather than asking which party has the "best" housing policy, you could look at your own priorities:

• "I want to stay in my present rental and know my rent can't suddenly jump." → examine the proposed rent-cap and tenancy-security policies.
• "I want the security of a state/community house if private renting becomes impossible." → compare public-housing construction and eligibility.
• "I want help paying today's private-market rent." → compare Accommodation Supplement policies.
• "I mainly want to protect my fixed retirement income." → look beyond housing at each party's NZ Super, tax, healthcare, energy and cost-of-living policies.

If you'd like, I can next make a side-by-side “older renter scorecard” without recommending any party—covering rent increases, eviction protection, Accommodation Supplement, social housing, NZ Super, rates, power costs and healthcare, with links to each party's actual 2026 policy documents.