Nationwide housing quality survey to get underway, Statistics NZ announces

A survey aims to find out what conditions Kiwis are living in. Photo / File

A nationwide housing quality survey is being carried out to get a better understanding of the conditions Kiwis are living in.

The General Social Survey, undertaken every two years, asks questions about the well-being of thousands of New Zealanders and will this year include questions around housing, Statistics NZ has announced.

This year's survey, which starts in April and will end next March, will ask participants in at least 400 homes to take part in an assessment of physical aspects of their house undertaken by an independent, trained assessor.

The voluntary one-hour assessment will collect data on the physical characteristics of the house, including things like building size, insulation and heating as well as the general condition of the house.

"Assessors will just be looking - they won't need to poke into walls or disturb the house or contents in any way to get the information they need," household surveys future development manager Calli Seedall said.

"We often hear about damp, cold homes that can put the health of New Zealanders at risk.

"The information gathered in the survey and housing assessments will increase understanding of housing quality in New Zealand."

Both owners and renters will be able to take part with all data made anonymous.

Results would not be used for compliance purposes by any agency.

It would be jointly funded by independent building research organisation BRANZ and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Land Information NZ LINZ are working with BRANZ to design the digital tool that will be used for the assessments and Otago School of Medicine are also supporting temperature taking at all homes included.