Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS)

The Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) were introduced through the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021, which took effect in 2022. They require councils in Tier 1 urban environments (Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch) to update their district plans to allow at least three residential units of up to three storeys on most residential-zoned sites as a permitted activity.

The MDRS set specific development standards including a maximum height of 11 metres (three storeys), minimum setbacks, height in relation to boundary controls, maximum building coverage of 50%, a minimum outdoor living space, and minimum landscaped area requirements. If a development meets all these standards, resource consent is not required for the land use — only building consent.

The MDRS represent a significant shift in New Zealand's planning approach, moving from restrictive single-house zoning to enabling medium density housing as of right. This has changed the development potential — and value — of residential land in affected cities.

Some areas are exempt from the MDRS, including qualifying matters such as heritage areas, significant ecological areas, coastal hazard zones, and other areas where intensification would be inappropriate. Councils have identified these qualifying matters through their plan changes.

The MDRS fundamentally change what can be built in residential zones across New Zealand's largest cities. If you're buying in a Tier 1 urban area, your neighbours may be able to build up to three homes and three storeys on their site — regardless of the existing character of the street.

Conversely, if you're buying a property with development potential, the MDRS may make it easier to add dwellings without resource consent. Understand the specific standards and any qualifying matters that might apply to your area.

Check your council's updated district plan to see how the MDRS have been incorporated. Most councils have a dedicated MDRS or intensification page on their website. Use the council's online planning maps to check whether the property is in an area subject to MDRS or covered by a qualifying matter exemption.

For Auckland, the MDRS are incorporated into Plan Change 78 of the Auckland Unitary Plan. Other Tier 1 councils have their own plan changes.