Long Stay Accommodation in Auckland: A Relocation Guide
If you are relocating to Auckland or starting a contract that runs for several weeks, long stay accommodation in Auckland comes down to two options: a serviced apartment or a rental. A serviced apartment has you settled on day one with everything already working. A rental makes sense once you know you are staying many months and which suburb you want.
Serviced apartment or rental?
Renting in Auckland usually means a fixed-term tenancy, often for a year, with a bond paid upfront, power and internet set up in your name, and quite often an unfurnished house or flat. Viewings are competitive, landlords tend to ask for references, and sorting all of it from overseas is hard work. The government's Tenancy Services website (tenancy.govt.nz) explains how bonds and tenancy agreements work.
A serviced apartment skips all of that. It is furnished, the wifi is on, the linen and kitchen gear are there, and you book for the exact number of weeks you need. For the first one to three months of a move, or a contract with a known end date, that flexibility is usually worth more than anything you might save on a lease.
Plenty of people split it: a serviced apartment for the first month, weekends spent looking at suburbs, then a lease once they know where they want to live.
Long stay accommodation in Auckland: what to check
Before you commit to several weeks anywhere, ask about:
- Laundry. A washing machine and dryer in the apartment, or a shared laundry?
- Internet. Is it fibre, and will it hold up on video calls?
- Kitchen. A full kitchen, or a kitchenette with two hobs?
- Cleaning. How often, and can you change it?
- Parking. Is it on site, is there a fee, and is there a height limit?
- Invoicing. If your employer is paying, can the bill go straight to them?
Every Stay Viaduct apartment has a kitchen, a washing machine, a laptop-friendly workspace and wifi, and most have a dryer. Cleaning is available on request, and long-term stays and company invoicing are covered on the corporate accommodation page.
Your first week: getting set up
Getting around
You may not need a car at all. The central city is compact, and most offices, the ferry terminal and the main train station at Britomart (now Waitematā Station) are walkable from the Viaduct. Buses, trains and ferries take an AT HOP card or a contactless bank card or phone. If you will be commuting every day, check Auckland Transport's website for the fare discounts and caps that apply to each, since they are not always the same.
Groceries
The closest large supermarket to the Viaduct is the Woolworths on Quay Street near Britomart. The New World at Victoria Park burned down in June 2025 and is being rebuilt, with reopening expected around the end of 2027, so ignore older guides that send you there.
Health
If you are not a New Zealand resident, expect to pay the full fee to see a GP. Accidents are different. ACC, New Zealand's no-fault accident scheme, covers visitors as well as residents, though not illness. Travel or health insurance is worth keeping until your residency status is settled. Healthline (0800 611 116) gives free health advice by phone at any hour, and the official guidance is on govt.nz under publicly funded health services.
Visas
Coming from overseas? Check your visa conditions with Immigration New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz) before you start any work. Working for a New Zealand employer and working remotely for an overseas one are treated differently.
Working while you are here
If your role is remote, or your new office is not ready yet, GridAKL in Wynyard Quarter is about ten minutes' walk from the Viaduct. It is council-backed, with sites on Pakenham Street West and Madden Street offering hot desks, team pods and private studios. It also runs regular community events, which are a decent way to meet people in a new city. Check its website for current hours and casual desk options.
Weekends and settling in
Long stays go better when you get out of the apartment, and Auckland's best free time is outdoors: the waterfront, the volcanic cones and the west coast beaches. Do Auckland has a list of free things to do and a page of nature spots for weekends. Start with Mount Eden. From the top you can see the whole isthmus and how the suburbs fit together, which helps before you start looking at rentals.
For a long stay, send your dates through the contact page, or email book@stayviaduct.co.nz or call 027 683 6461.
