Moving to a tropical island in the South Pacific sounds like an absolute dream – and honestly, it is! But if you’re planning on living in Rarotonga long-term or renting a home here, there is one area where reality might give you a gentle nudge: island housing.
This is our second time living and renting in Rarotonga as a family, and trust us when we say we have moved house more than our fair share of times! From coastal cottages to inland family homes, we’ve seen a lot of houses in Rarotonga.
If you are getting ready to make the move, here is an honest, insider look at what houses are really like here, what to expect, and how to adapt to island-style living.
1. Don’t Be Too Fussy: Island Standards vs. Home Standards
The single best piece of advice we can give anyone moving to the Cook Islands is don’t be too fussy.
Life is different here. Houses are built differently, furnished differently, and maintained differently than what you might be used to back home in New Zealand, Australia, or further afield.
You won’t find central heating, insulated double glazing, or slick modern architectural marvels on every corner. What you will find are practical, lived-in homes built to handle humidity, salt air, and tropical rain.
A Little Island Reality Check
Just remember – whatever house you end up renting, it is bound to be a whole lot flasher than what your local work colleagues or your neighbours next door are living in.
Be careful who you complain to about your creaky floorboards or small kitchen! Perspective is everything when living in the Pacific.
2. Construction: What Are Houses Built Of?
Most homes in Rarotonga are built for durability and ventilation rather than heat retention.
- Materials: You’ll mostly find houses constructed from concrete block or timber framing with corrugated iron roofs. Concrete block is fantastic because it keeps the house relatively cool during the heat of the day and holds up extremely well against the elements.
- Floors: Hardwood, painted concrete, or lino/tiles are standard. Carpets are rare because of the damp, tropical climate and the constant inflow of sand, red dirt, and bare feet!
- Windows & Bug Screens: Louvre windows (jalousie windows) are everywhere because they allow you to catch the ocean breezes while keeping out sudden tropical downpours.
However, flyscreens can be hit-or-miss! Sometimes you’ll move in and discover a few windows are missing mosquito mesh entirely.
Don’t panic – making your own magnetic or timber-framed insect screens is a rite of passage here. You’ll quickly realize you’re surrounded by expat families and friendly neighbours who are figuring out the exact same DIY setups!
3. The Kitchen Reality: Adapting Your Cooking Setup
Island kitchens are usually basic, functional, and missing a few appliances you might consider “standard” back home.
For instance, full-sized electric ovens are surprisingly rare in rental properties, or they can be notoriously unreliable.
In our current place we are renting, we actually have no oven at all! But before you start worrying about how to feed a family, trust us – you adapt fast.
We brought over a portable induction hob and an air fryer, and now we honestly can’t imagine cooking any other way! Between the air fryer, the induction hob, a toasted sandwich maker, and a blender for fresh tropical fruit smoothies, our kitchen setup works absolutely brilliantly.
You don’t need a massive gourmet kitchen to cook incredible meals in the tropics.
4. The Bathroom Situation: What to Expect
If you’re expecting luxurious en-suite bathrooms with rainfall showerheads and deep soaking tubs, you might need to adjust your expectations!
In most typical rental homes in Rarotonga, you’ll usually find one or two basic bathrooms.
A standard setup often consists of a simple tiled shower (sometimes a walk-in wet room style), a vanity, and a toilet. Baths are quite uncommon unless you’re in a high-end luxury villa.
Water heating is another classic island detail:
- Many homes rely on gas califonts or solar water heaters.
- Water pressure can fluctuate depending on your location on the island and whether you are relying on main lines, water tanks, or rain catchments.
5. Bedrooms & Beds: Size Isn’t Everything!
When looking at renting listings in Rarotonga, a “3-bedroom house” can mean a lot of different things.
Rooms are often on the smaller side, designed primarily as places to sleep rather than large personal sanctuaries – after all, most of island life is lived outdoors on the veranda or in the yard!
In our current home, we have three bedrooms with three beds, but all of them are very small double beds. At first, coming from larger setups back home, it felt like a bit of a tight squeeze. But you know what? It’s fine, and we’re surviving!
You quickly learn that you don’t spend your days hanging out in your bedroom anyway when you have palm trees, warm ocean breezes, and a tropical garden right outside your door.
6. Location Is Everything!
Where your house sits on the island makes a huge impact on your day-to-day living and renting experience in Rarotonga:
- Beachside (Makatea / Coastal side): You get gorgeous ocean views, sea breezes, and direct access to the lagoon. However, the sea spray eats through metal, electronics rust twice as fast, and you’ll spend a lot of time wiping down sticky salt film from windows.
- Inland (Inland / Mountain side): Tucked back towards the lush mountains, you get stunning green views, protection from salt spray, and often a quieter atmosphere. The trade-off? It can feel a few degrees warmer without the direct coastal wind, and you might get a few more mosquitoes and bugs!
We currently live on the inland side of the main road. So we are literally across the road from the beach. It’s brilliant!
Albeit we are close to (as in right on) the runway. But as a travel family living right on the runway is what we have come to love!
A few trade-offs of the housing in Rarotonga for the location and living right across the road from the beach paradise is pretty darn epic!
7. DIY & Adaptability: Making a House a Home
Renting in Rarotonga often means moving into a house that has the basics, but lacks those little organizational touches or functional creature comforts. That’s where flexibility -and a good set of tools – comes in!
Luckily, Gavin brought his tools along with him, and he has been a busy man around our place!
To make our renting this year work smoothly for our family, he built:
- A drying rack/washing line under the roof: Because when it rains in the tropics, it really rains! Having a covered line outside is a total game-changer.
- Bathroom shelves: Adding extra storage where there was originally none.
- Kid desks: Custom desks fitted into the kids’ smaller bedrooms, so they have dedicated spaces to work and draw.
- Outdoor porch shelving: Perfect for kicking off sandy shoes, fins, and wet gear before stepping inside.
- Laundry room storage & a lounge coffee table: Making our indoor living space feel cozy, organized, and complete.
I’m pretty proud of all that I must say!
8. Be Adaptable & Don’t Rush
The biggest lesson we’ve learned from living and renting in Rarotonga twice now is that you need to be adaptable.
Don’t try to rush into fixing or changing everything all at once the moment you move in. Give yourself time to settle into “Island Time.”
Live in the space for a few weeks first – you’ll quickly figure out where the breeze flows, where the rain hits during an afternoon squall, and what furniture pieces or appliances you actually need versus what you can live without.
Renting a House in Rarotonga
Living here is about embracing a simpler, slower, and more laid-back lifestyle. The houses reflect that: they aren’t about flashy luxury; they’re about shelter, community, and enjoying the beautiful island surroundings.
Settle in, lower your expectations on walk-in wardrobes, grab an air fryer, and enjoy the magical adventure of life in Rarotonga!
Looking to make the move yourself?
Check out our full guide on How to Rent a House in Rarotonga for practical tips on finding long-term rentals, understanding leases, and navigating local rental networks!
Read More About Travel to Rarotonga
- 10 Foods To Try In Rarotonga.
- Charter Fishing In Rarotonga.
- All About The Rarotonga Bus.
- Hiring A Scooter In Rarotonga.
- Renting A Car In Rarotonga.
- Choosing A Lagoon Cruise In Muri, Rarotonga.
- Rarotonga Reef Explorer Tour With Ariimoana.
- Is Dengue Fever A Worry For Travel To Rarotonga?
- Transport And Getting Around Rarotonga.
Travel Planning for Cook Islands and Beyond
These are the companies we use and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – Best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. Easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel including those who have already left home. Make sure you have travel insurance before considering renting in Rarotonga!
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the self-confessed dreamer, travel-schemer and the main editor behind this blog. I love to write, and it is a dream come true to share so many experiences together and inspire others in our stories.