For employers

We know how hard it is to find staff with secure housing in our district.  We've seen some wonderful examples of businesses proactively supporting their staff with their accommodation needs. 

Here are some tips, ideas, and resources to help you help your staff. 

    • Tell them the best places to look for rooms. Suggest they check out local social media groups (like on Facebook) or local publications (like Lakes Weekly Bulletin, Mountain Scene or Upper Clutha Messenger) for advertising rooms. Popular local Facebook pages include:

    • Vouch for your employees - provide them with printed references for them to hand on to landlords/property managers.

    • Be as flexible as you can - where possible, be flexible to allow your staff to attend room/rental viewings.

    • Support their search - sign up to all the property management and real estate agencies in town who work with rental properties. You will then receive notification when a rental property becomes available.

    • Make sure they have a bank account so they can be paid and make payments.

    You could also let them know about these other temporary accommodation options:

    • HelpX  enables working holiday makers to stay with local people around the world and gain practical experience.

    • Pawshake NZ connects pet sitters with pets. A great option for dog/cat lovers or those that might be missing a family pet back home!

    • Kiwi House sitters connects house and pet sitters with homes.

    • Roomies provides a platform to list rooms and find flatmates.

    • myRent provides a platform for self-managing landlords.

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  • It can be challenging settling into a new town, especially if you’ve come from overseas and leaving behind the support of family and friends. Here are some tips to help make your new staff feel welcome and part of the community.

    • Consider welcoming them at the airport or another location. If possible, assign them a buddy who can help show them around and ensure they are supported to get to know the ropes.

    • If your new worker has arrived from overseas, consider sharing our Welcoming communities newcomer group profiles  and contact details to get connected with groups that can make them feel at home.

    • Share  our Community Connect directory to help them find activities, clubs and groups to connect with.

    • Encourage them to check out  our sport and recreational services.

    • Encourage them to join  our libraries as a welcoming space to relax with a good book, attend events, use Wi-Fi or find some quiet time to recharge the batteries.

    • Make sure they know who to talk to if they need help. There’s lots of links and resources on our  Community Wellbeing page.

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  • A toolkit has been developed by the Chamber of Commerce to equip businesses with the information they need to:

    • Understand the law as it relates to renting and accommodation in the Queenstown Lakes.

    • Get help and advice for supporting their staff with the house hunt.

    • Understand how employers can best support their people if they are experiencing stress when securing accommodation.

    Visit the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce website to view this toolkit.

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  • Many businesses in the district directly provide housing for their staff to help attract quality staff, provide them with housing security, improve their wellbeing, and reduce staff turnover. Options include: 

    • Take out a lease on a property as a business for your employees to live in. Employees will sign a service tenancy which means they have access to the accommodation provided as long as they are employed by your company. 

    • Purchase a property to rent out to your employees or look to collaborate with other businesses to purchase or lease property for employee accommodation. 

    You can find advice on how to go about providing staff housing that complies with the relevant legislation here: Tenancy Services. 

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