Thank you for your email.

 

Should your enquiry be urgent, please phone Queenstown 03 441 0499 or
Wanaka 03 443 0024.

 

Kind Regards,

 

The QLDC Customer Services Team

Mōrena Aaron,

 

Thanks for your information request. See attached letter.

 

I’ll be in touch once I’ve sourced the information.

 

Ngā mihi,

Poonam

 

 

Poonam Sethi  [1]Description:
| Governance cid:image003.png@01CEA7D7.20704940
and Official
Information

Advisor | Chief
Executive’s
Office

Queenstown
Lakes District
Council

P: +64 3 450
0379

 

[2]A picture containing drawing Description automatically generated

P  Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [3][FOI #13809 email]
Sent: Tuesday, 15 September 2020 5:41:22 PM
To: "OIA/LGOIMA requests at Queenstown-Lakes District Council"
<[4][Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - How is the Council using its
rights under the Public Health Act to inspect rental housing properties?
Dear Queenstown-Lakes District Council,

Last month, the Wellington City Council tabled a report* looking into the
powers that the council has to inspect and report on unsanitary or
unhealthy housing. The report showed that the Council has significantly
stronger powers to enforce healthy and sanitary housing that it had been
aware of or was practising. These powers are applicable to all local,
unitary and district councils. You can read the legislative basis for
these powers in the appendix below.
Renters United is a national organisation of renters campaigning to
improve conditions for all renters in Aotearoa. We are concerned that many
councils around the country are not adequately using their powers to
ensure housing is healthy and sanitary, particularly private rental
housing.
We write to request the following information under the Local Government
Information and Meetings Act 1987:
1. In the past five years, how many times has the Council used their
rights under the Public Health Act to inspect rental housing properties?
2. In the past five years, how many times has the Council exercised its
powers to issue a repair or closure notice to landlords whose properties
do not meet the Housing Improvement Regulations?
3. How do you identify which rental housing properties to inspect under
the Public Health Act?
4. What is the process for tenants to request the Council inspect their
rental housing property under the Public Health Act and provide a written
report on its condition?
5. What information is available on your website or in your publications
on rental housing inspections provided by the Council?
6. What is your process for engaging with the Tenancy Tribunal to provide
reports on the rental housing inspections you conduct?
We look forward to hearing from you as soon as reasonably practicable.
Thank you.

Aaron Packard
Renters United Organiser
027 3519994

Appendix:

The legislative basis
The Housing Improvement Regulations 1947, originally made under the
Housing Improvement Act 1945, are now in force under the Health Act 1956
(s120c). These regulations require that, for example, housing is free from
dampness, fitted with an approved form of heating, provided with
sufficient windows, provided with a toilet, and that rooms are of a
minimum size. Many of these regulations are encompassed in more recent
legislation, including under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and the
Residential Tenancies Act (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019.
Under the Health Act 1956, local bodies are directed and empowered to
enforce the regulations in their district (s23d). If housing does not
comply with the Housing Improvement Regulations, local bodies can issue a
repair notice or a closure notice**. The council’s public health team
should inspect properties upon request and provide a written report for
tenants or the Tenancy Tribunal on their observations of the state of the
property.

*Wellington City Council, ‘Safety of Housing in Wellington’, in Ordinary
Meeting of Strategy and Policy Committee, 2020, pp. 245–52 (p. 251)
<[5]https://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/your-...>.
**Barry Barton, ‘A Warm and Dry Place to Live: Energy Efficiency and
Rental Accommodation’, Canterbury Law Review, 19 (2013), 1–25 (pp. 10–13).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[6][FOI #13809 email]

Is [7][Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Queenstown-Lakes District Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[8]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[9]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
3. mailto:[FOI #13809 email]
4. mailto:[Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]
5. https://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/your-...
6. mailto:[FOI #13809 email]
7. mailto:[Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Mōrena Aaron,

 

Please see our attached response to your information request.

 

Regards,

Maddy

 

 

Maddy Patterson | Senior
Governance and Official
Information Advisor
Chief Executive’s Office |
Queenstown Lakes District
Council

DD: +64 3 450 1738
[2]QLDC-Logo_CMYK_Blue[3]www.qldc.govt.nz
E:
[1][email address]

 

Please note that my days of
work are: Mondays, Wednesdays
and Thursday mornings.

 

P  Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail 

 

 

 

 

From: Information Request
Sent: Wednesday, 16 September 2020 9:25 AM
To: [FOI #13809 email]
Subject: RE: Official Information request - How is the Council using its
rights under the Public Health Act to inspect rental housing properties?
[#E62DB]

 

Mōrena Aaron,

 

Thanks for your information request. See attached letter.

 

I’ll be in touch once I’ve sourced the information.

 

Ngā mihi,

Poonam

 

 

Poonam [4]Description:
Sethi | cid:image003.png@01CEA7D7.20704940
Governance
and
Official
Information

Advisor |
Chief
Executive’s
Office

Queenstown
Lakes
District
Council

P: +64 3
450 0379

 

[5]A picture containing drawing Description automatically generated

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [6][FOI #13809 email]
Sent: Tuesday, 15 September 2020 5:41:22 PM
To: "OIA/LGOIMA requests at Queenstown-Lakes District Council"
<[7][Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - How is the Council using its
rights under the Public Health Act to inspect rental housing properties?
Dear Queenstown-Lakes District Council,

Last month, the Wellington City Council tabled a report* looking into the
powers that the council has to inspect and report on unsanitary or
unhealthy housing. The report showed that the Council has significantly
stronger powers to enforce healthy and sanitary housing that it had been
aware of or was practising. These powers are applicable to all local,
unitary and district councils. You can read the legislative basis for
these powers in the appendix below.
Renters United is a national organisation of renters campaigning to
improve conditions for all renters in Aotearoa. We are concerned that many
councils around the country are not adequately using their powers to
ensure housing is healthy and sanitary, particularly private rental
housing.
We write to request the following information under the Local Government
Information and Meetings Act 1987:
1. In the past five years, how many times has the Council used their
rights under the Public Health Act to inspect rental housing properties?
2. In the past five years, how many times has the Council exercised its
powers to issue a repair or closure notice to landlords whose properties
do not meet the Housing Improvement Regulations?
3. How do you identify which rental housing properties to inspect under
the Public Health Act?
4. What is the process for tenants to request the Council inspect their
rental housing property under the Public Health Act and provide a written
report on its condition?
5. What information is available on your website or in your publications
on rental housing inspections provided by the Council?
6. What is your process for engaging with the Tenancy Tribunal to provide
reports on the rental housing inspections you conduct?
We look forward to hearing from you as soon as reasonably practicable.
Thank you.

Aaron Packard
Renters United Organiser
027 3519994

Appendix:

The legislative basis
The Housing Improvement Regulations 1947, originally made under the
Housing Improvement Act 1945, are now in force under the Health Act 1956
(s120c). These regulations require that, for example, housing is free from
dampness, fitted with an approved form of heating, provided with
sufficient windows, provided with a toilet, and that rooms are of a
minimum size. Many of these regulations are encompassed in more recent
legislation, including under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and the
Residential Tenancies Act (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019.
Under the Health Act 1956, local bodies are directed and empowered to
enforce the regulations in their district (s23d). If housing does not
comply with the Housing Improvement Regulations, local bodies can issue a
repair notice or a closure notice**. The council’s public health team
should inspect properties upon request and provide a written report for
tenants or the Tenancy Tribunal on their observations of the state of the
property.

*Wellington City Council, ‘Safety of Housing in Wellington’, in Ordinary
Meeting of Strategy and Policy Committee, 2020, pp. 245–52 (p. 251)
<[8]https://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/your-...>.
**Barry Barton, ‘A Warm and Dry Place to Live: Energy Efficiency and
Rental Accommodation’, Canterbury Law Review, 19 (2013), 1–25 (pp. 10–13).

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[9][FOI #13809 email]

Is [10][Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Queenstown-Lakes District Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[11]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[12]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.qldc.govt.nz/
3. http://www.qldc.govt.nz/
6. mailto:[FOI #13809 email]
7. mailto:[Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]
8. https://wellington.govt.nz/~/media/your-...
9. mailto:[FOI #13809 email]
10. mailto:[Queenstown-Lakes District Council request email]
11. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
12. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections