Your first few weeks in New Zealand, particularly until your belongings arrive, can often be quite unsettled. Some families rent holiday accommodations, such as a motel unit, then move to unfurnished accommodation when their furniture arrives - though even this can be a bit of a juggling act, as you are never quite sure when the container ship will arrive!
Most rental properties in NZ are let unfurnished, with just an oven, curtains and carpets. There are some properties, often inner-city apartments and town houses, that are available furnished or semi-furnished, but these will often be quite expensive - and there aren't really many of them.
It is possible to rent furniture - short-term appliance rentals are relatively common, but furniture rentals are much less so and very expensive.
It’s a bit harder in New Zealand to find rental accommodation when you have pets.
You can find rental accommodation in the classified in daily newspapers, and through property management agencies / rental agencies.
