Defence sells houses, pays increased rent

6:03 pm on 5 August 2015

The Defence Force is selling hundreds of its houses and paying millions of dollars more in rent.

Chief of Defence Force Tim Keating

Chief of Defence Force Tim Keating Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

It said in a statement released under the Official Information Act it had 351 houses for sale.

It had sold 694 since 2009 and now has 1627 in its housing stock.

In 2013, the Defence Force spent nearly $2.8 million on renting property; that was expected to climb to nearly $6.9 million this year.

It said that was because it sold and then leased back 253 houses as part of a treaty settlement with Ngati Whatua o Orakei.