What a special character area is
A special character area is a part of Auckland where the council protects the look of the street. Most are in older suburbs with villas and bungalows built before about 1940, such as Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Mt Eden, Devonport and parts of the North Shore.
It’s an overlay in the Auckland Unitary Plan, on top of the zone.
What you can and can’t do
| Work | Usually needs resource consent? |
|---|---|
| Demolishing or removing the house | Yes, and it’s often declined |
| Changing the front of the house (windows, verandah, roof) | Yes |
| Additions at the back, out of sight of the street | Sometimes, depending on size |
| Inside renovations (kitchen, bathroom) | No |
| Building a new house on an empty section | Yes, and it must fit the street’s character |
Resource consent adds cost and time, and design requirements can make building work more expensive.
Check everything for one address, free
Flooding, the coast, land stability, zoning, planning rules and school zones, on one page. The full report with what to do next is $29.
See a sample reportWhy buyers like them
Character areas tend to keep their leafy streets and older houses, and the rules limit how much the street can change. Many buyers pay a premium for that.
The trade-off is less freedom to change your own house, and limits on more intensive building nearby.
What to check
- Check whether the address is in a special character area with our zoning check.
- If you plan to extend or rebuild, talk to an architect or planner before you buy.
- Ask whether past work on the house had the right consents. Unconsented changes to the front can be a problem.
Questions
Is a special character area the same as heritage?
No. Heritage protects specific listed buildings, with stricter rules. Special character protects the general look of a street.
Are special character areas changing?
The council has reviewed which streets are included, and proposed housing rule changes could affect some. Check the current maps for any address you’re considering.