01
The 60-night figure, and where it applies
Christchurch sets its short-stay rules by zone, by location and by whether you live in the home while guests are there. “Unhosted” means you do not. As at 24 August 2026, most unhosted residential units outside the 50dB airport-noise contour are permitted for up to 8 guests and 60 nights per 12 months.
That 60 is not citywide. Specified Banks Peninsula and small-settlement residential zones, and Residential Large Lot, allow 180 nights. Rural unhosted accommodation is generally 8 guests and 180 nights. And 8 guests means 8: a home that sleeps 7 or 8 is inside the limit, not over it.
02
When resource consent comes into it
Consent is needed when the stay goes beyond what the zone permits. If the home is inside the 50dB airport-noise contour, confirm with Council in writing before letting the whole home: unhosted short stays inside the contour usually need resource consent. Specified overlays and commercial zones have rules of their own (as at 24 August 2026).
Being permitted is not the same as having nothing to do. Permitted activities still carry notification and operating conditions, so read the Council page for the current list before the first booking.
03
Neighbours, timing and the order of things
If your address does need consent, the Council decides who, if anyone, is affected and how the application is processed. Whether written approval from neighbours would help is a question for the Council's duty planner about your address, not something to assume from someone else's case.
Processing time depends on the application. One rule of thumb: do not take bookings beyond the permitted nights on the expectation that consent will come through.
04
Apartments: the Building Act question
Planning rules are only half of it for apartments. MBIE determination 2026/026, issued 7 August 2026, upheld a Christchurch notice to fix against a central-city unit let for short stays, on change-of-use grounds under sections 114–115 of the Building Act 2004.
It bites harder in apartment buildings than in standalone houses. If your home is a unit, raise short-stay use with the body corporate and check the building's position before you list it.
05
What the rules do to the numbers
A night limit is a revenue limit. At 60 nights, a home is a short stay for part of the year and needs a plan for the rest of it; at 180 the arithmetic is different again. Any income estimate that ignores the limit on your address is not an estimate for your address.
GST changed on 1 April 2024. The booking platform now collects 15% GST on short-stay bookings whether or not you are registered; if you are not, 8.5% comes back to you as a flat-rate credit and 6.5% goes to Inland Revenue (as at 24 August 2026). Talk to your accountant about how that applies to you.
06
Working out which rules apply to your home
Look the address up in the District Plan property search and note the zone and any overlays. Check whether it sits inside the 50dB airport-noise contour. Decide whether the stay will be hosted or unhosted, and how many guests the home really sleeps.
Then get the Council to confirm it in writing for the address. Everything on this page is a general summary of the public rules and a first screen, not a planning determination or legal advice.
Questions owners ask
Is Airbnb in Christchurch capped at 60 nights a year?
Not everywhere. As at 24 August 2026, 60 nights in 12 months (and up to 8 guests) is the permitted limit for most unhosted homes in residential zones outside the 50dB airport-noise contour. Specified Banks Peninsula and small-settlement residential zones and Residential Large Lot allow 180 nights, rural zones generally allow 180, and a home inside the contour usually needs consent.
My house sleeps 8. Is that over the limit?
No. The usual limit is up to 8 guests, so a home that sleeps 7 or 8 is within it. The night limit and any other conditions for your zone still apply.
Do I need resource consent for a short-stay rental in Christchurch?
You need it when the stay goes beyond what your zone permits, or when an overlay or commercial-zone rule applies; those are the common triggers, not a complete list. If the home is inside the 50dB airport-noise contour, confirm with Council in writing before letting the whole home — unhosted short stays inside the contour usually need consent. Check the District Plan property search and get written Council confirmation for the address.
Does it matter if the home is an apartment?
It can. MBIE determination 2026/026 (7 August 2026) upheld a Christchurch notice to fix against a central-city unit let for short stays, on change-of-use grounds. Check with the body corporate and on the building's position before listing a unit.