When planning a trip to New Zealand, the first thing to think about is where you will live. It depends on your budget and your preferences and situation. For students, accommodation can be arranged by the educational institution in the form of a hostel or with a local host family (homestay). Students coming with a companion or family will in most cases have to book their own accommodation.
It is advisable to book your first accommodation before you arrive in the country. This will relieve you of unnecessary worry and uncertainty, and will likely save you money. There are a lot of students, temporary workers and tourists coming to the country all the time, so it is difficult to find good accommodation at the last moment.
Flatmate is a joint tenancy. It is an option for those who want to reduce the cost of rent but still have all the benefits of living in their own home. It is a great way to make new friends and improve your English. Shared renting allows students (and not only) to live in an apartment in the city center (CBD) or in a nice house at an affordable price. It is not uncommon for couples or even small families to rent a place together. It all comes down to the size of the apartment and your wishes regarding the necessary size of your own space in it. On the one hand, this option reduces rental costs, which allows you to rent a really good and comfortable housing for reasonable money, on the other hand, requires a high level of loyalty and friendliness to roommates, so it is better to make sure in advance that the lifestyle of future neighbors do not contradict each other and get along will be easy.
There are two options for concluding a lease agreement. It is possible to rent a place together at once, in which case the rental contract will include all tenants on equal rights and with equal responsibility. It is possible to rent housing for one person and surplus space to rent under a sublease agreement, but this option will need to be agreed with the owner of the housing. The main tenant will have to bear all responsibility for the housing and timely payment of rent to the property owner.