Latest news with #HealthyHomesStandards
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- General
- The Spinoff
Curtain banks are in hot demand
Around the country, a network of curtain banks make and provide curtains that keep homes warm and electricity bills down. Demand is ever-growing, and they're sewing frantically to keep up. If you walk through Habitat for Humanity's Ōtara superstore, down the external and currently chilly alleyway full of ceramic sinks, toilets and baths, there's another reclaimed industrial building. On its bright blue painted side, there's a white sign reading 'CURTAIN BANK' over a set of glass doors. Inside, two industrial sewing machines are humming, their operators carefully running pieces of fabric and curtain tape through straight as an arrow. The irons are hot. There's three big pattern-cutting tables and along the walls, shelves with bundles of curtains labelled with order numbers or dimensions. This is Habitat's curtain bank, where last year the team sent out more curtains than ever before – 11,215 curtains for 732 families. It's not like a food bank where people are only given what's already there – almost every curtain is customised. This bank is just one of a network of 22 curtain banks scattered from Auckland all the way down to Invercargill. Most of the curtain banks don't stand alone – they're part of the Healthy Homes Initiative, with Health New Zealand saying curtains are the highest identified need – ahead of heaters, bedding, mould cleaning kits, blankets, window squeegees and small repairs. The Healthy Homes Initiative, which aims to help more families live in warm, dry homes, has been successful and cost-effective in reducing child hospitalisations, improving school attendance, reducing energy hardship and a raft of other health and social benefits. And yet, there's not a mention of curtains in the Healthy Homes Standards. That means that landlords are not obliged to provide them, and so many don't, especially at the lower end of the rental market. Many houses seen by Healthy Homes teams don't have any curtains at all, or they might be thin or mouldy. Sometimes people have venetian blinds or roller blinds that don't provide a thermal barrier. Often, people don't realise how much of a difference curtains can make. In Wellington, orders are closed at the city's only curtain bank, run by Sustainability Trust. The team of two full-time staff and 27 volunteers is still working on curtain orders from last year, and it's not just sewing. Here, as well as providing curtains, the team aims to divert as much waste as possible from landfill. All the curtains begin with a donation, usually of a pre-loved curtain and occasionally of fabric. Donations need to be unpacked and checked for mold which is either cut, pulled or unpicked away. The rest is measured, laundered and filed in one of two little rooms that serve as the curtain library. Curtain tracks and their brackets are donated too. In another room they're cleaned and refurbished. There's also gliders, hooks and tape to sort and store. 'I keep on taking up more space,' says Julie Gunn, the curtain bank manager. 'There's just a lot happening. We are getting lots of curtain donations coming in, which is good, but we need to keep up.' Then comes actually filling orders. Measurements of the windows of a household come through home visits by the trust's Heathy Homes team or other referral pathways. Best practice guidelines are followed so that the curtains are as effective as possible. The length must be 'to the floor and a little bit more,' says Gunn, and the width must allow for plenty of folds and for the curtain to extend past the window frame, 'so there's less chance for that warm air to sneak in behind the curtain'. It's also important that the curtains are lined to create an insulating layer of air. Gunn compares it to the puff in a puffer jacket. Ideally, the fabric is a tightly woven natural fibre, heavy and thick. Thermal backed curtains aren't great as the backing deteriorates and can't easily be washed. 'There's so much love and care that goes into each step of the process,' says Gunn. But the curtain bank needs more than that to run. At the end of the year, its major sponsorship is coming to an end. Even that sponsorship doesn't cover costs – the shortfall is made up for by the Sustainability Trust. 'We apply to every funding opportunity that comes along,' says Gunn. 'We have noticed that there is more and more demand on the charitable and philanthropic funding that is available. That's tough, because everyone applying to those funding opportunities is doing really good and really important work.' Up in Auckland, the Habitat curtain bank services households across the city and in Northland. They can keep their wait times down – about two months in summer and six in winter – because compared to other curtain banks they are well-resourced and staffed. They purchase premade curtains and new curtain fabric, lining, tape and tracks. Still, even the premade curtains are almost always customised in some way to properly fit the window they are heading to. 'These are top-end custom curtains,' says Jane, an experienced sewist there. She's pressing a crisp seam on a chocolate brown curtain with flocked flowers. 'For the most part people are really appreciative,' she says. A national network of curtain banks tries to meet yearly. A couple of years ago, Curtain Call, a group that advocates adding curtains to the Healthy Homes Standards, sprung from the network. Curtain Call argues that leaving curtains out leaves a gap in the legislation, and in 2023 publicly campaigned, met with politicians and petitioned the government. With the coalition government, they changed their tack. Leana Hunt, operations manager in Habitat's northern region, says 'it's not their [the government's] priority right now'. Curtain Call is continuing to raise awareness among communities, without directly petitioning politicians. For as long as curtains aren't in the standards, curtain banks will continue to face more demand than they can keep up with, but not without joy. 'It is sad that there is so much need out there,' says Gunn from Wellington, 'but it is a wonderful thing to be involved with.' When families open up their boxes of curtains, 'I want all of that love to spill out onto them, because we love what we do.'
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
'Mark your own homework': Healthy Homes checks under fire
By Bella Craig of RNZ Like drivers issuing their own warrants of fitness - that's how building experts and renter advocates describe the new Healthy Homes Standards. Since July 1, all rental properties across the motu have been required to comply with the new standards, which set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage. But who gets to say whether a property is up to scratch? Well, with no certification required in order to complete an assessment, the role could technically be filled by anyone. This has prompted calls for an independent certification system. Ideally, under the new standards, damp and draughty rentals should now be a thing of the past. But the New Zealand Institute of Building Inspectors isn't convinced. Chief executive Graeme Blissett, said the standards contain several loopholes. Not least, that anyone can label themselves a healthy homes assessor. "It's a huge problem, because there's no one looking at what they're actually inspecting and writing reports on is actually correct. "There are no guarantees because no one's double-checking what they're doing, and I believe that if you're charging $150, $200 to do a healthy homes inspection on a house, you're not doing it correctly." It doesn't take long to find companies offering Healthy Homes assessments - a business was found online, offering to carry out a certification for around $200. But Blissett fears that without certification, many of these businesses will prioritise "quantity over quality". He said he's seen several certificates that ticked off each of the standards, despite the properties falling short. "The tenants [are] usually up to speed with these sorts of regulations and rules, so if the landlords do it on their own property and they get it incorrect, and the tenant finds out about it or talks to someone, and they've got a little bit of knowledge on it. There is a chance for them to be taken [to] the Tenancy Tribunal. "I believe there's fines of like $5000 or something like that for non-compliance." Renters United President, Zac Thomas, said the Healthy Homes Standards are a positive step towards a warmer and drier housing stock. But he's also concerned about the assessment process. "There is a mark your own homework situation where landlords don't even need to use an independent assessor in the first place. They can say that they are healthy homes compliant, that's the first thing. "But then the second thing is they can get this assessment from an agency that in many cases won't actually be complying or assessing to the standards as they should be." Thomas said that if the checks were completed by qualified assessors, it would give peace of mind to both landlords and tenants. "A renter might go, 'hey, please show me your healthy homes compliance.' They might be worried that the house is not compliant, and the landlord will probably show this, and then they might go, 'Oh well, I guess I have nothing to complain about'. "In reality, if there was a consistent standard, tenants would have the confidence to say, 'Okay, like this does meet standard, therefore I don't need to worry about going to the Tenancy Tribunal." University of Otago Professor, Lucy Telfer Barnard, said that as winter rolls around, if houses aren't up to standard, it's the tenants who face the consequences. "The tenants may not necessarily initially know that's why they're feeling unwell, but then if they do start to wonder, there's whole process that they can then have to go through to get those standards met. "To have that after the fact when they've moved in, in good faith, thinking that the property meets the standards, really isn't fair and puts a whole burden onto people." Landlords who fail to meet the Healthy Homes standards can face fines of up to $7200. Owners of six or more rentals that do not comply could be hit with $50,000 fines. A statement from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said they don't assess how landlords achieve compliance, and there is no licensing requirement to undertake Healthy Homes Standards assessments. Moving to this sort of "WOF" scheme would be a big undertaking with significant costs and impacts. It said landlords need to satisfy themselves that the person they hire is suitably experienced and can undertake the required inspection or work to an acceptable standard. If a tenant thinks the property they are renting is not up to standard, they can make a complaint on the Tenancy Services website or apply for a work order from the Tenancy Tribunal.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
'Mark your own homework': Healthy Homes checks under fire for DIY loophole
Photo: 123rf Like drivers issuing their own warrants of fitness - that's how building experts and renter advocates describe the new Healthy Homes Standards. Since 1 July, all rental properties across the motu have been required to comply with the new standards, which set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage. But who gets to say whether a property is up to scratch? Well, with no certification required in order to complete an assessment, the role could technically be filled by anyone. This has prompted calls for an independent certification system. Ideally, under the new standards, damp and draughty rentals should now be a thing of the past. But the New Zealand Institute of Building Inspectors isn't convinced. Chief executive Graeme Blissett, said the standards contain several loopholes. Not least, that anyone can label themselves a healthy homes assessor. "It's a huge problem, because there's no one looking at what they're actually inspecting and writing reports on is actually correct. "There are no guarantees because no one's double-checking what they're doing, and I believe that if you're charging $150, $200 to do a healthy homes inspection on a house, you're not doing it correctly." It doesn't take long to find companies offering Healthy Homes assessments - Checkpoint found a business online, offering to carry out a certification for around $200. But Blissett fears that without certification, many of these businesses will prioritise "quantity over quality". He said he's seen several certificates that ticked off each of the standards, despite the properties falling short. "The tenants [are] usually up to speed with these sorts of regulations and rules, so if the landlords do it on their own property and they get it incorrect, and the tenant finds out about it or talks to someone, and they've got a little bit of knowledge on it. There is a chance for them to be taken [to] the Tenancy Tribunal. "I believe there's fines of like $5000 or something like that for non-compliance." Renters United President, Zac Thomas, said the Healthy Homes Standards are a positive step towards a warmer and drier housing stock. But he's also concerned about the assessment process. "There is a mark your own homework situation where landlords don't even need to use an independent assessor in the first place. They can say that they are healthy homes compliant, that's the first thing. "But then the second thing is they can get this assessment from an agency that in many cases won't actually be complying or assessing to the standards as they should be." Thomas said that if the checks were completed by qualified assessors, it would give peace of mind to both landlords and tenants. "A renter might go, 'hey, please show me your healthy homes compliance.' They might be worried that the house is not compliant, and the landlord will probably show this, and then they might go, 'Oh well, I guess I have nothing to complain about'. "In reality, if there was a consistent standard, tenants would have the confidence to say, 'Okay, like this does meet standard, therefore I don't need to worry about going to the Tenancy Tribunal." University of Otago Professor, Lucy Telfer Barnard, said that as winter rolls around, if houses aren't up to standard, it's the tenants who face the consequences. "The tenants may not necessarily initially know that's why they're feeling unwell, but then if they do start to wonder, there's whole process that they can then have to go through to get those standards met. "To have that after the fact when they've moved in, in good faith, thinking that the property meets the standards, really isn't fair and puts a whole burden onto people." Landlords who fail to meet the Healthy Homes standards can face fines of up to $7200. Owners of six or more rentals that do not comply could be hit with $50,000 fines. A statement from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said they don't assess how landlords achieve compliance, and there is no licensing requirement to undertake Healthy Homes Standards assessments. Moving to this sort of "WOF" scheme would be a big undertaking with significant costs and impacts. It said landlords need to satisfy themselves that the person they hire is suitably experienced and can undertake the required inspection or work to an acceptable standard. If a tenant thinks the property they are renting is not up to standard, they can make a complaint on the Tenancy Services website or apply for a work order from the Tenancy Tribunal. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Propertyscouts Invercargill, Property Management, Named In Top Ten For Excellence In RTA Healthy Homes Compliance
Invercargill, New Zealand – Propertyscouts Invercargill have proudly secured a place in the Top Ten for Excellence in Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) Healthy Homes Compliance across the South Island, a prestigious recognition that highlights their commitment to providing safe, warm, and compliant rental homes for tenants. This accolade reflects the property management team's unwavering dedication to upholding the Healthy Homes Standards, which include critical requirements around heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress, drainage, and draught stopping. These standards, introduced under the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019, aim to improve the quality of rental housing for over half a million New Zealand households. Ingrid Scott business owner and branch manager at Propertyscouts Invercargill, expressed pride in the team's achievement: "We're thrilled to be recognised among the top performing property management companies in the South Island. That means we are in the running for an award, and it's the first of its kind in NZ. It is a big deal! Our team works tirelessly to ensure every property we manage meets or exceeds compliance standards. This recognition is a testament to our proactive approach and the trust our clients place in us. It also attests of operational excellence and forward planning. Our team is buzzing with excitement." Propertyscouts Invercargill has built a reputation for excellence in property management, offering guaranteed rent, 24/7 availability, and expert knowledge of New Zealand tenancy legislation. Their hands-on, investor-focused approach continues to set them apart in the industry. This recognition follows a string of recent successes for the team, including multiple awards at the national level.
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Migrant tenants 'easy prey' for landlords
A migrant worker being charged $250 a week to couch-surf in Queenstown is an example of ongoing abuse in the town, a social leader says. Queenstown Citizens Advice Bureau manager Tracy Pool said some houses packed in migrant workers in conditions that risked safety and hygiene, including people on couches and in bunk beds, with few bathrooms. The revelation comes the day after the Tenancy Tribunal slapped Queenstown landlord James Truong with a $113,723 fine for housing 22 tenants — mostly migrant workers — in an unconsented, unsafe five-bedroom boarding house. The tenants were living in the house, two garages and a shed. The buildings were missing smoke alarms, did not comply with Healthy Homes Standards and the electricity system was overloaded. Mr Truong had been given warnings by the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the government's Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team (TCIT) since 2020. TCIT national manager Brett Wilson said Mr Truong had known the rules, but ignored them and the tenants were in a "vulnerable situation ... with little knowledge of their rights". Mr Truong was also required to pay back 40% of rent paid by the tenants while the building was being operated as an unconsented boarding house. Ms Pool said that migrant workers on low wages who wanted a room to themselves were being charged $400 a week plus bills, making it hard for them to survive. "If you're paying under $350 it is considered cheap." She said migrant workers were often from the Philippines or India, and were easy prey for greedy head tenants or landlords because the workers wanted to live as cheaply as possible so they could send as much money as possible to their families at home. "It makes it so much harder because it does make them so much more vulnerable to people who take advantage of them," she said. Ms Pool said she knew of a case where a company had decided to stop taking responsibility for staff accommodation in a rented house and had transferred the head tenancy to one of its managers, who had then hiked rents and brought in bunk beds. "He took advantage of the shortage of accommodation going into the winter season, to make as much money as he could." Ms Pool said it was difficult to know the scale of the problem. "It's really difficult to say, but there is always pressure every winter season and that's when things can go haywire." Her message to landlords and head tenants was "don't do it. It's wrong and immoral to take advantage of people like this".
