Property Management
4 min read
Every year, as we approach the festive season, people ask me: “Jess, will tenants move into my property over the Christmas holidays?”
This is a good question and an important one too. Because if you pay for your property and settle from November onwards, it can take longer to find a tenant.
In this article, you’ll learn the answers to some of the most common questions you might have.
Plus, we’ll discuss the game plan to get your property rented.
Fewer tenants are looking to move house over the Christmas break.
For instance, in December 2024, there were 10% fewer tenants looking for rental properties on Trade Me than in November.
So while tenants don’t disappear entirely, there is a dip over the Christmas break (late December to early January).
That’s because people go away for the holidays and are less likely to look for a new rental.
It’s still possible to find tenants during the holidays. In the past, I’ve even had people move into houses on New Year’s Day!
But it can take more time to find a tenant.
So, expect fewer people attending viewings because some people are on holiday.
If you’re buying a New Build, know that developers often push for settlement to happen before Christmas.
They’ll try to get all the building work done before the holiday. That way they don’t have to keep paying interest on the money they’ve borrowed over the Christmas break.
But your property probably won’t settle on 27th December (for example). This is because the period between Christmas Eve and January 5 isn’t considered “working days” in most contracts.
So, if you’ve got a settlement coming up, you’ll likely become the owner of the property either:
So if you’re buying a New Build, how do you know when your settlement will be?
Developers will issue a “settlement notice” 10 working days before settlement.
That means in 2026, if a developer gives you notice before Thursday December 10 … you'll likely settle before Christmas.
If they give you notice after this date, you’ll likely settle in early January.
Yes, Opes Property Management remains open over Christmas. We have a skeleton crew working through the holidays.
This means we’re still available for viewings and handling tenant queries. There’s almost always one call about the oven on Christmas Day!
We’ll be showing properties, although that doesn’t guarantee tenants will show up or sign tenancy agreements. But it does mean our team is still working hard to find tenants throughout the break.
We still rented 66 properties over the 4-week Christmas period in 2025/26 (between December 22 and January 18).
But keep in mind moving companies might be unavailable, and this can delay tenants moving in.
More from Opes:
If your property settles from mid-November onwards, finding a tenant can take more time.
In Auckland, we aim to find a tenant with 6 weeks of vacancy or less. So, if you become the owner of the property in mid-November a tenant will often move in right around Christmas.
However, some investors will experience more vacancy over this period.
One option to handle the cashflow is to talk to the team at Opes Mortgages. They can talk with you to see if you’d like to apply for a buffer facility. This is where you have a loan available to cover these costs, if needed.
You might also consider using any cashback from the bank (if you get one) to help bridge the cashflow.
If you aren’t using Opes Property Management, be sure to check if your property manager runs a skeleton crew over the holidays.
The standard fixed-term contract for tenants is 12 months. So if you sign a tenant on 23rdDecember for 12 months, you may have the same problem next year.
To make your life easier, you might like to offer a fixed tenancy for 15 months if renting over Christmas.
This means next year you don’t need to find another tenant over the Christmas break.
Instead, you’ll potentially look for a new tenant in February or March.
If you are looking for a tenant from mid-November onwards ... you should prepare for a slightly longer vacancy. That’s if you’re settling your property pre-Christmas.
I think the best thing to do in this situation is prepare for the scenario where you can’t find a tenant for a few more weeks. That means you won’t be stressed about finding a tenant on Christmas Day.
So plan on setting up a buffer line of credit with your mortgage adviser, or using the cashback from the bank to help bridge the cashflow.
In the meantime, our team will be here doing the best we can for you.
If you are looking for a tenant from mid-November onwards ... you should prepare for a slightly longer vacancy. That’s if you’re settling your property pre-Christmas.
Not all investors will have longer vacancy. But it is more likely. So prepare for that scenario so you’re not stressed about finding a tenant on Christmas Day.
In the meantime, our team will be here doing the best we can for you.
Business Development Manager with over 5 years of experience in Property Management in Auckland.
Jess Knight is the Business Development Manager at Opes Property Management in Auckland. She has over five years of industry experience and is also an experienced property investor.
This article is for your general information. It’s not financial advice. See here for details about our Financial Advice Provider Disclosure. So Opes isn’t telling you what to do with your own money.
We’ve made every effort to make sure the information is accurate. But we occasionally get the odd fact wrong. Make sure you do your own research or talk to a financial adviser before making any investment decisions.
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