Housing
Lions fans force beneficiaries out of Akl motels
People are being squeezed out of emergency accommodation in Auckland, giving up their beds for Lions tour fans, the Ministry of Social Development says.
Building consents up for first time in three months
The number of building consents for new homes has risen for the first time in three months.
New meth standard addresses industry cowboys
Standards New Zealand has released its long awaited benchmark for the testing and remediation of P contaminated properties. Massey University environmental chemist Nick Kim, a top expert in P testing… Audio
Paid off the house? You've made it
Is paying of the house a sign that you've "made it" in life? Audio
'We've got to act now': Mayor hails Wellington housing plan
A taskforce set up to deal with the city's impending housing crisis has recommended converting office blocks and increasing suburban density. Audio
Wellington housing plan 'most thorough reforms in a generation'
Wellington's mayor Justin Lester is touting a just-released housing plan to stop the city becoming another Auckland, as the 'most thorough reforms in a generation'. Audio
Landlords told to come clean on rental insulation
Landlords are failing to disclose how much insulation is in their rental properties when they sign up new tenants, the Building and Construction Minister says. Audio
Residents urged to check apartment cladding for fire risk
An Auckland litigation lawyer is recommending clients take a sample of any aluminium composite cladding on their apartments to test whether it is combustible. Audio
Lawyer tells apartment owners to rip off cladding to check
One of the country's most experienced leaky building litigation lawyers is now fielding calls from other apartment owners fearing another nightmare on their hands - combustible cladding. And now Paul… Audio
Landlords breaking new insulation law
Investigators monitoring the Government's new regulations around rental properties and insulation say landlords are breaking the law by failing to disclose how much insulation is in their rental… Audio
Grenfell Tower death toll won't be known for months
UK police say the final death toll in the Grenfell Tower disaster is unlikely to be clear before the end of the year. Our UK correspondent Natalie Powell says residents have been making their own… Audio
Concerns raised over NZ fire regulations
Plans for what will be the country's tallest apartment tower are stuck in a dispute over whether a single stairwell for its top 11 floors is good enough in an evacuation.
Fire rules overhaul lets tall buildings have single stairwell
As the safety of buildings worldwide is called into question, following the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in London, NZ's fire rules for tall buildings are being tightened and what will be the… Audio
Home ownership rates among Maori and Pasifika plummeting?
A National Maori housing organisation says a recent report showing a massive decline in Maori and Pasifika home-ownership is due to political inaction. The Victoria University and Deloitte report on… Audio
Social housing candidate has links to Manus detention centre
One of the consortiums shortlisted to buy Housing New Zealand homes in Christchurch has links to a company accused of human rights breaches on Manus Island.
Salvation Army cannot meet demand for food, housing
Demand for the Salvation Army's food banks, emergency accommodation, and financial support has retuened to levels only previously seen during the global financial crisis. Audio
The Grenfell Tower Fire – Could it Happen Here?
Bill McKay discusses the fire risk to your home in a medium or high-rise building. Bill McKay is a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture at University of Auckland. Audio
Cladding on dozens of UK tower blocks fail fire tests
Cladding on 34 tower blocks in 17 council areas in England has failed fire safety tests, the government says.
Calls to electronically track building products
Fixing and replacing non-conforming building products could be costing more than $200 million a year, according to new research.
Housing quandary: impact of LVRs
With 30 percent fewer house sales in Auckland in the past year, it seems the Reserve Bank's wish for a cooler housing market has been granted, but at what cost? QV's Andrea Rush discusses the issues. Audio
