Auckland Flood Zones Are Reshaping Property Ownership

Auckland’s flood risk is real, widespread, and increasingly expensive. Around 14% of Auckland’s land is floodplain, with around 20% of buildings exposed to some kind of flood risk. Property buyers need to know the lay of the land.

The Day the Cloud Broke

Two years ago, Aucklanders thought they understood risk. Then, on 27 January 2023, 307mm of rain fell in four days – more than half the expected annual rainfall. More than 10,000 properties flooded, and many Aucklanders were forced into emergency accommodation.

It was one of Auckland’s most expensive climate disasters. And yet the city is still green-lighting thousands of homes in flood-prone areas. Auckland Council has approved about 4,000 new builds in hazard zones since the devastating floods of 2023. This is the new reality of the Auckland property market, where Mother Nature is now an unpredictable business partner.

Numbers to Keep You Awake at Night

  • Scale: Around 14% of our land is floodplain, with around 20% of buildings in the region exposed to some kind of flood risk. That’s roughly one in five properties carrying some level of flood risk.

  • Cost: For 95% of people with flooding, there aren’t really any viable infrastructural solutions that won’t cost more than the property itself. Often, it turns out that a project will cost $10–15 million to complete but will only benefit a couple of homes.

  • Insurance hit: 25% of houses in high flood-risk areas are attracting extra insurance premiums of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. In extreme cases, the flood premium can reach up to $4,500.

  • Trend: Nationally, the average cheapest online insurance quote for properties in April was $1,839 — an annual increase of 15%, and up 29% since monitoring began.

Your New Best Friend: Auckland Council’s Flood Viewer

One of the easiest ways to find out if your current or future home is at risk of flooding is to search for the property on Flood Viewer – a free online tool developed by Auckland Council.

Flood Viewer shows multiple flood risk profiles and gives you actionable intel on any Auckland property. Think of it as property due diligence on steroids. But that doesn’t mean you can shelve LIM reports and property files, which still provide a lot more detailed information about the property.

Insurance Providers Get Tough

Insurance companies aren’t messing around. New Zealand’s largest insurer, IAG, said in 2023 it will not issue new insurance policies on flood-prone and landslip-threatened homes. Unfortunately, some properties are becoming virtually uninsurable. And if you do get insurance, you’ll pay through the nose.

Fast-Track Developments Could Invite Disaster

The 5,000-home Sunfield development at Ardmore in South Auckland was one of more than 140 projects on the government’s list for fast-tracked consenting. Part of the Sunfield site was slated for future urban development with flood mitigation plans already in place, but part of it was zoned rural on a floodplain with no infrastructure solution.

Auckland Councillor Richard Hills fears this could put future residents in harm’s way, as the council has no say on projects that go through the fast-track process.

This creates a perfect storm:
Government fast-tracking housing in flood zones + Council can’t object on environmental grounds = potential disaster for future property values and resident safety.

What Smart Buyers Should Do

  1. Flood Viewer everything: Before you even think about making an offer, check every potential property on Auckland Council’s Flood Viewer. This isn’t optional – it’s basic due diligence.

  2. Call insurance companies before you buy: Get quotes. Understand flood loading fees. Factor these into your investment calculations. A property might look like a bargain — until you see the insurance premium.

  3. Target newer builds: New developments often have better flood mitigation — things like water tanks underneath units that collect rainwater. Building regulations have improved, so newer properties generally fare better, even in flood zones.

  4. Know your micro-geography: West Auckland experiences more intense rainfall from the Waitākere Ranges. Volcanic suburbs like Sandringham and Mt Eden have underground lava flows that create natural drainage.

  5. Think about tenants: Properties with obvious flood risk may see longer vacancy periods or require rent discounts. Plan accordingly.

Climate Change Isn’t Coming – It’s Here

What we previously thought was a one-in-100-year event might soon become a one-in-50-year or even a one-in-20-year event. In some parts of Auckland, what used to be a 1% annual chance of flooding has now happened every year for the past three years. Be smart.

Mother Nature can be brutal. Tools like Flood Viewer help you understand the risks. Real estate agents are another good source of local intelligence. Call 0800 GOODWINS to pick the brains of an expert who’s out and about in all weather.