12 September 2023
Barry Murphy
[FYI request #23852 email]
Dear Mr Murphy
Thank you for your request of 15 August 2023 to Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
for the following information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I ask for the following information Nationally & for Mrs Regals territory.:
1./ In the last 12 months, how many new houses have had damage reported 2./
What was the average cost of the damage 3./ How much was paid by Tenants for
damage and how much by KO, Insurance or Other
On 24 August 2023 you clarified your request to be for:
A new home that has been added to stock. Start date from occupancy.
I.e: if you took a new home in Jan but it was only occupied in march, go from the
march date
I have interpreted your request to be for damage caused by Kāinga Ora customers where
they are liable for the damage.
Identifying liability for damage is not always straightforward. Under the Residential
Tenancies Act 1986, a tenant is liable for damage if the damage was intentional or
careless, rather than accidental.
When damage occurs to Kāinga Ora properties, our priority is to repair the damage as
quickly as possible, to ensure good living conditions for our customers and to maintain the
number of properties available for those in need. We do seek to recover money for
damage from customers where this is appropriate and where legislation allows for it.
Kāinga Ora records costs charged to the customer where they are liable for the costs.
This can include damage, and other costs such as lock changes and skip bin hire.
Nationally, between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023, $2,402 was changed to 15
customers who live in homes built within the last 12 months. The average individual
charge was $109 (some customers were charged for multiple items). This data is subject
to audit and may change.
There are a number of teams within Kāinga Ora that support our customers and our
activities in each region, such as maintenance and community engagement. Renee Regal
is the Manager – Community Engagement and Partnerships, and her role supports a team
that engages with communities and builds partnerships. This function includes ensuring
people have the information about who Kāinga Ora is, what we do, and how we
support customers and communities. The region Renee’s team covers includes the
following Territorial Local Authorities:
• Palmerston North City
• Rangitikei District
• New Plymouth District
• South Taranaki District
• Manawatū District
• Whanganui District
• Horowhenua District
• Ruapehu District
• Stratford District
• Tararua District
Between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023, no damage costs were charged to a customer
living in a newly built home in these areas.
Also note that Kāinga Ora only insures its larger value properties, therefore we rarely
claim against insurance for damage.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
response. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or Freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that Kāinga Ora proactively releases our responses to official information
requests where possible. Our response to your request may be published at
https:/ kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/official-information-requests/ with your personal
information removed.
Yours sincerely
Nick Maling
General Manager National Services
