Dangerous and insanitary buildings

A dangerous building might:

• be older and/or poorly maintained
• be currently used for something it wasn’t designed for
• have suffered a structural failure or be in a state of disrepair that means it could collapse.

An insanitary building might not have:

• sanitary facilities such as functioning toilets, washing and bathing facilities
• a potable (drinkable) water supply
• a hot water supply.

We check:

• if there has been any unauthorised building work and/or change of use
• the standard of maintenance of any specified systems
• the state of repair of building structures and services
• the safety level of the building.

And we make sure that:

• people use buildings safely and without endangering their health
• people can escape from a building in an emergency
• buildings are unlikely to cause injury or death to persons on other property, or damage to other property.

If there’s a problem with a building, our compliance team will work with the building owner to find a way to get the building back to a safe, healthy state.

If you are a building owner, you:

• are legally responsible for ensuring the maintenance and compliance of your building
• should employ a building surveyor if you think your building may be dangerous or insanitary
• should take immediate steps to make sure your building, and any occupants, are safe if you discover the building is dangerous or insanitary.

Interested buyers and renters can:

• ask an expert to check the building you want to buy or rent
• look for the building’s warrant of fitness certificate (BWoF) in the foyer or entrance and check this is up to date.

For more information or if you think a building might be dangerous or insanitary, contact us.

Email: building@hcc.govt.nz
Phone: 07 8386677