State home tenants in houses badly damaged in the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods are living rent free until they are repaired.

Kainga Ora says more than 600 homes need repairing and they've offered to relocate 268 families while the work is underway.

But some state homes are beyond repair are marked for demolition.

Kainga Ora deputy chief executive for Auckland and Northland Caroline Butterworth says they're racing against winter's arrival.