New Zealand 2026 election: housing security and support for low-income renters

For a sole parent renting and working part-time, there are two particularly important questions to compare when looking at the parties:

1. Can you remain in your rental home? This includes protection against no-cause evictions, limits on rent increases and the availability of affordable long-term rentals.
2. How much help do you receive with housing costs? This includes Accommodation Supplement, income-related rents, public housing, emergency housing and other support for families on low incomes.

There is also an important distinction between help for people renting privately and help for people in Kāinga Ora or community housing. The rules and costs can be quite different.

The following is a comparison of the main parties' publicly stated 2026 positions, using information available as at 30 October 2026. I've separated announced election policies from existing government settings and past decisions.

1. Secure rentals and tenants' rights

Party	Main position affecting renters
Labour	Proposes banning no-cause evictions, giving tenants more notice and improving rental standards.
Green Party	Proposes long-term or permanent tenancies, limits on rent increases, stronger rental standards and a landlord register.
National	Retains the current tenancy framework, including the ability to end periodic tenancies without giving a specific reason, with 90 days' notice.
ACT	Has not announced a comparable new package of stronger tenant protections.
NZ First	Has not announced a comparable comprehensive rent-control or tenant-protection package.
Te Pāti Māori	Proposes universal rent controls and repealing no-cause evictions.

Sources: Labour's 2026 policy announcements, Policy.nz and the October 2026 housing policy comparison. Labour's 2026 Election PoliciesThe property policies: How election 2026 housing promises line upPolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026How should housing policy change?

What the proposals mean in practice

• Labour: Its proposal would make it harder for a landlord to end your tenancy without a specific reason. This could provide greater certainty if you need to keep your child settled in the same home.
• Greens: Their proposed 2% annual rent-increase limit would offer more predictability if rents are rising. Requiring long-term or permanent tenancies would also address uncertainty about having to move.
• National: The existing rules allow landlords to end periodic tenancies without giving a reason, provided they give 90 days' notice. This is an important difference from Labour and Green proposals.
• Te Pāti Māori: Its proposed rent controls and repeal of no-cause evictions would address both rent increases and tenancy security.

These are proposals or positions, not guarantees that every landlord would offer a long-term tenancy or that rents would fall.

2. Help with rent and housing costs

This is particularly important if you are working part-time, because a change in your hours can affect your household income and eligibility for financial assistance.

The parties' approaches

Party	Housing assistance and affordability proposals
Labour	Would maintain income-related rents at 25% of income for Kāinga Ora and participating community housing tenants. Proposes 6,000 additional social housing places over four years.
Greens	Proposes building 35,000 public homes over five years, alongside expanded transitional and supported housing.
National	Has increased the maximum Accommodation Supplement for eligible private renters, while increasing income-related rents for social housing tenants from 25% to 30% of income from April 2027.
ACT	Emphasises increasing housing supply through planning and property-rights reforms. Its published housing proposals do not set out a comparable new rent subsidy or income-related rent package.
NZ First	Has emphasised housing development and prioritising New Zealand citizens for social housing. Its published proposals do not set out a comparable new Accommodation Supplement package.
Te Pāti Māori	Proposes increasing social housing, including 2,000 homes on ancestral Māori land over four years, and strengthening support for tenants at risk of losing their homes.

Sources: How should housing policy change?The property policies: How election 2026 housing promises line upElection policy tracker: what the parties are promisingBudget 2026

An important difference for social housing tenants

The National Government's Budget 2026 changes are particularly relevant:

• From 1 April 2027, income-related rent for Kāinga Ora and community housing tenants is scheduled to rise from 25% to 30% of household income.
• Maximum Accommodation Supplement payments for eligible private renters are scheduled to increase by $10–$30 per week, depending on circumstances.
• The Government describes this as making housing assistance fairer between private and social housing tenants.

Labour has specifically said it would retain the 25% income-related rent arrangement rather than implement the increase to 30%.

This is a significant difference if you are considering applying for public housing in the future. Budget 2026 initiatives - Budget 2026How should housing policy change?Budget 2026

3. What support could you receive as a sole parent renting privately?

Regardless of which party you vote for, there are existing government supports worth understanding.

Accommodation Supplement

This is a weekly payment towards rent, board or home ownership costs. It is available to eligible private renters, including sole parents.

For a sole parent with one child, the current maximum weekly payments are:

Accommodation area	Maximum weekly payment
Area 1	$235
Area 2	$155
Area 3	$105
Area 4	$80

These are maximums, not guaranteed payments. Your income, assets, rent and circumstances determine the actual amount. You cannot receive the Accommodation Supplement for a Kāinga Ora or approved community housing property. Accommodation Supplement

You can check eligibility through Work and Income – Accommodation Supplement.

Temporary Additional Support

This can provide additional help when your essential living costs exceed your available income and other assistance. Budget 2026 includes changes that reduce its maximum payments, so this is another area worth examining when comparing parties. Budget 2026Government announces direction for social housing reform - Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (Formerly Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga

Public and community housing

If private rentals are becoming unaffordable, you can also investigate eligibility for income-related housing through Kāinga Ora or community housing providers.

The difference between paying 25% and 30% of household income in social housing is worth keeping in mind when considering the parties' proposals.

4. The key differences at a glance

Here is a summary of the issues you might want to compare before voting.

Your concern	Relevant party differences
Avoiding unexpected eviction	Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori propose stronger protections.
Keeping rent increases manageable	Greens and Te Pāti Māori propose rent controls; Labour also proposes stronger renting protections.
Keeping social housing affordable	Labour proposes retaining the 25% income-related rent rate. National has scheduled a rise to 30%.
More affordable public housing	Greens propose 35,000 public homes; Labour proposes 6,000 additional social housing places.
Help with private rental costs	National has increased the Accommodation Supplement maximums; compare this with other parties' future commitments.
Help if you risk losing your home	Te Pāti Māori proposes more funding for Sustaining Tenancies; Greens propose expanded supported housing.

One important qualification: a party not announcing a new payment does not necessarily mean it would abolish existing assistance. Equally, a promise to build more houses does not necessarily mean an immediate reduction in your rent.

5. Where to compare the actual election policies

These are useful independent resources for checking the detail:

• Policy.nz – 2026 election housing policies. Compare renting, social housing, housing affordability and housing quality.
• RNZ – 2026 housing policy guide. A running guide to policies announced by the parties.
• The Conversation – 2026 election policy tracker. Covers housing alongside income, employment and cost-of-living policies.
• Work and Income – Accommodation Supplement. Check what assistance may be available under current rules.

6. One additional consideration: your ability to work more hours

There is an important connection between housing affordability and your ability to increase your working hours.

For a sole-parent household, I would look beyond housing policy alone and consider how each party's proposals interact with:

• Accommodation Supplement and income thresholds.
• Working for Families and the in-work tax credit.
• Childcare assistance and childcare subsidies.
• Whether increasing working hours leaves you financially better off after childcare costs and any reductions in assistance.
• Whether you can afford to remain in your rental if your income changes.

A party might promise more housing assistance but not necessarily address the childcare costs that limit how much you can earn.

My suggestion is to compare housing, welfare and childcare policies together rather than treating them as separate voting issues. They can have a combined effect on your weekly disposable income.

7. I can help you make this comparison more practical

One useful next step would be to calculate how the different housing and financial support settings could affect your household.

I can put together a comparison for a sole parent with one preschool-aged child, renting privately and working part-time, covering:

• Weekly rent assistance.
• Working for Families.
• Childcare subsidies.
• What happens to support when working hours increase.
• Which parties have announced changes to those areas for 2026.

That would help distinguish between policies that sound helpful and changes that could actually affect the money available to pay your rent and support your child.