Provide feedback or a complaint
If you have a complaint you’d like us to sort out, a suggestion you’d like to make, or a story you’d like to share about a job well done, we want to hear from you.
We want Kāinga Ora homes and the communities they’re in to be pleasant and enjoyable places to live – and most of them are. But when problems arise, we work hard to achieve an outcome that works for everyone.
If you aren’t happy with something regarding a Kāinga Ora home or are experiencing a problem, please get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can look into it. There are a range of different ways you can get in touch with us to provide feedback or make a complaint – you can find these under Contact us.
If you would like to complain online you can use our Feedback and enquiries form, just select 'Complaint' under 'Type of enquiry'.
When you get in touch with us about a problem you’re experiencing, there are some key pieces of information we need so we can investigate. Please let us know:
- What the problem is and how it relates to Kāinga Ora
- If you’re getting in touch about a specific Kāinga Ora home, please let us know the address
- If you’re getting in touch about a specific event, please let us know:
- The date and approximate time the event occurred
- Who was involved
- Any other relevant information you think may help us resolve the problem.
We recommend that you also provide us with your name, address and contact details. This means that we can get back in touch with you to let you know what we’re doing about the situation or ask any further questions if needed. However, you can remain anonymous if you’d prefer.
We take complaints seriously and work hard to achieve positive outcomes for both the people we house and their communities. Depending on the situation, this process isn’t always quick, but we’re committed to getting it right.
While we aim to keep you informed throughout this process, it’s important to keep in mind that we are limited in what we can share with you under the Privacy Act. This means that we aren’t able to provide information about specific actions we may have taken or next steps.
We understand that this can be frustrating, and can assure you that we do everything we can to resolve issues as quickly as possible. While the specific steps we take are unique to each situation, it could include:
- Having conversations with our customers about the situation and what they can do to resolve it – often this is all it takes to resolve what’s going on
- Providing practical support to customers to help address issues with rubbish or maintenance
- Connecting customers with support agencies to address the root cause of the problem
- Using tools available under the Residential Tenancies Act when needed, including issuing breach or warning notices
When we receive a complaint, we aim to acknowledge it within two business days and keep in touch with you as we look into the situation.
If you’re waiting on an update, please get in touch with our Customer Support team on 0800 801 601 so we can follow-up with the local team.
There are some situations where it’s best to get in touch with another agency to help, before reaching out to Kāinga Ora. This includes:
- If you think someone is in immediate or physical danger, call police immediately on 111
- If you’re concerned about potential illegal activity, report it to the Police on 105
- If you’re having problems with noise, get in touch with the noise control office at your local Council
- If you’re having problems with dogs, call Animal Control at your local Council
- If you’re concerned about animal welfare or an abandoned pet, get in touch with the nearest SPCA.
Once you’ve reported your concern to one of these organisations, please get in touch with us to let us know what’s going and that you’ve connected with other authorities. This means we can not only look into your concerns, but reach out to the right agency to get more information if needed.
While the vast majority of Kāinga Ora homes and the communities they’re in are pleasant and enjoyable places to live, in a very small number of situations, disruptive behaviour causes upsetting or stressful situations for neighbours.
We understand the impact these situations have and are committed to doing everything we can to resolve them – and we have a range of tools in place to help us do this.
Kāinga Ora seeks positive outcomes for both the people living in our homes and their communities. To achieve this, we work closely with our customers, whānau and other support services where necessary to understand the root causes of behaviour and support a sustainable improvement.
While our first approach is to support a change in behaviour, we have many other tools in our toolbox – including using tools available under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), where appropriate.
In the very small number of situations where sustaining a tenancy is not in the best interest of the customer or the wider community, we can – and do – end tenancies. In these situations we typically offer the customer another Kāinga Ora home, and find most customers take the opportunity to make a fresh start without further issues.
The approach we take is unique to each situation and takes into account a wide-range of factors, which can be quite complex. But our aim is always the same – achieve an outcome that works for everyone, as quickly as possible.
At Kāinga Ora we are committed to living by our values and standards of integrity and conduct. We know that there may be times when these are compromised, or situations occur that cause harm or distress to others and these need to be dealt with appropriately i.e. subletting our homes, financial products misuse, corruption, dishonesty, conflicts of interest
You can report any suspected fraud by our staff, tenants or contractors by
- calling: 0800 8355 469 – 24 hours, 7 days a week or
- emailing: integrityservices@kaingaora.govt.nz
Page updated: 24 July 2023