Force owners to bring all homes up to Building Code

Force owners to bring all homes up to Building Code

Government’s WOF trial should be broadened, says industry expert

Home owners should be legally forced to upgrade their house to the current Building Code before being able to sell, an industry expert says.

A New Zealand-owned building expert of more than 30 years is calling on the Government to extend its WOF trial on state housing rentals to all New Zealand homes, preventing owners from putting them up for sale until they comply with the Code.

Jennian Homes is challenging the three newly-appointed housing ministers to ensure all homes meet the same WOF.

“Jennian has nothing to gain or profit from this, we see it as our social responsibility to drive any initiative that will result in New Zealanders living in safer, healthier homes,” Dave Wilson of Jennian Homes, says.

“This is not about forcing rents up for the most needy – this is a requirement for landlords and homeowners wishing to sell, to invest in their houses. It will actually increase their value. The flow-on effect is that New Zealanders will have houses that are more healthy and far cheaper to run.”

Prime Minister John Key last week named his new Cabinet, splitting housing issues across three ministers – with Finance Minister Bill English heading up Housing NZ, Paula Bennett in a new role as the Minister of Social Housing, and Nick Smith as Minister of Building and Housing, with responsibility for affordable housing issues.

Key wants more housing for low-income families, and feels social housing providers should play a more significant role in achieving that.

This follows the Government’s trial earlier this year of a 49-point checklist for a three-year warrant of fitness on 500 of its state houses. If the incoming Government deems the trial a success it will be extended to the entire housing stock. It is estimated that would require approximately $9million to achieve.

The WOF should, however, be extended to all New Zealand homes, as every Kiwi deserves the same level of care, Wilson says. Currently many would fail even the basic safety requirements of the Building Code.

“There is a responsibility to ensure houses are made safer and that sub-standard homes should not be allowed to be passed on to a new owner, or be rented out. People will continue to get sick, injured or die if this is allowed to continue.”

Requirements of the rental WOF include hot-water temperature controls, handrails, smoke alarms, good ventilation, dry under-floor spaces and insulation.

Wilson points to the significant numbers of asthma sufferers in New Zealand, and the EECA estimate that as many as 600,000 New Zealand houses have insufficient insulation.

“Hundreds of thousands of Kiwis wake up freezing in winter or lying awake sweltering in the summer. They have to use expensive, energy-sapping portable heating or none at all because they cannot afford it.”

A search of houses for sale on Trade Me reveals many that would not meet Building Code standards, including a multitude of homes with second-storey horizontal balustrades – easy for a toddler to climb and fall from.

“As an industry we are building safer homes, protecting Kiwis. But new-build companies cannot protect people in older houses. It worries me houses as little as 15 years old now wouldn’t pass the Code. That’s putting families at risk.”

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