Measuring the Effect of Housing Quality Interventions: The Case of the New Zealand “Rental Warrant of Fitness”
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. The New Zealand Context
2.1. NZ Housing Quality
2.2. NZ Housing Quality Regulation
3. The UK Housing Health and Safety Rating System
4. US Housing Standards
5. The NZ Rental Housing Warrant of Fitness (WoF)
- Demonstrable, evidence-based health gain or injury prevention;
- A problem that a tenant was not permitted to fix without the landlord’s permission, or it was impractical for a tenant to fix; and
- Inspection could be carried out by a generalist (e.g., a public health officer or trained builder) with at least a year’s experience in building inspections, rather than a specialist tradesperson (e.g., an electrician or plumber).
6. From Assessment Tool to Public Policy: The Rental WoF Implementation Study
6.1. Study Design
6.2. Study Questions
6.3. The Intervention Cities
6.4. The Control Cities
6.5. The Intervention
6.6. Outcomes
6.6.1. Social Outcomes
6.6.2. Economic Outcomes
6.6.3. Health Outcomes
6.7. Analysis
6.8. Limitations
7. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. WoF Assessment Criteria (See www.healthyhousing.org.nz for More Details)
- Is there a functional, safe stove-top and oven? (Yes/no)
- Is there adequate space for food preparation and storage? (Yes/no)
- Is there an adequate supply of hot and cold potable water? (Yes/no)
- Is the hot-water at the tap 55 °C (±5 °C)? (Yes/no)
- Is there a functional toilet, which does not have a cracked or broken seat, cistern or bowl? (Yes/no)
- Is there a suitably located bath or shower in good working order? (Yes/no)
- Are there secure or high level cupboards or shelves for storing hazardous or toxic substances out of children’s reach? (Yes/no)
- Is there an adequate form of safe and effective space heating? (Yes/no)
- Do the bathroom, kitchen and all bedrooms have some form of ventilation to outside? (Yes/no)
- Is the house reasonably free of visible mould, i.e., the total area of mould is less than an A4 sheet of paper? (Yes/no)
- Are power outlets, light switches and wiring safe and in good working order? (Yes/no)
- Is there adequate indoor lighting? (Yes/no)
- Does the house have adequate working smoke alarms? (Yes/no)
- Have the windows got effective latches? (Yes/no)
- Do high level windows have security stays to prevent falls? (Yes/no)
- Are there curtains or blinds in the bedrooms and living area? (Yes/no)
- Do glass doors have safety visibility strips? (Yes/no)
- Does the house have ceiling insulation to WoF standards? (Yes/no)
- Does the house have underfloor insulation to WoF standards? (Yes/no)
- Is a ground vapour barrier installed under the ground floor? (Yes/no)
- Is the house weathertight with no evident leaks, or moisture stains on the walls or ceiling? (Yes/no)
- Is the house in a reasonable state of repair? (Yes/no)
- Is the storm and waste water drainage being adequately discharged? (Yes/no)
- Is there any water ponding under the house? (Yes/no)
- Is there adequate outdoor lighting near entrance ways? (Yes/no)
- Does the house appear to be structurally sound? (Yes/no)
- Are there handrails for all internal stairs and all outdoor steps that access the house, and do balconies/decks have balustrades to the current Building Code? (Yes/no)
- Is the address clearly labelled and identifiable? (Yes/no)
- Are there securely locking doors? (Yes/no)
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Share and Cite
Telfar-Barnard, L.; Bennett, J.; Howden-Chapman, P.; Jacobs, D.E.; Ormandy, D.; Cutler-Welsh, M.; Preval, N.; Baker, M.G.; Keall, M. Measuring the Effect of Housing Quality Interventions: The Case of the New Zealand “Rental Warrant of Fitness”. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 1352. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111352
Telfar-Barnard L, Bennett J, Howden-Chapman P, Jacobs DE, Ormandy D, Cutler-Welsh M, Preval N, Baker MG, Keall M. Measuring the Effect of Housing Quality Interventions: The Case of the New Zealand “Rental Warrant of Fitness”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2017; 14(11):1352. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111352
Chicago/Turabian StyleTelfar-Barnard, Lucy, Julie Bennett, Philippa Howden-Chapman, David E. Jacobs, David Ormandy, Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Nicholas Preval, Michael G. Baker, and Michael Keall. 2017. "Measuring the Effect of Housing Quality Interventions: The Case of the New Zealand “Rental Warrant of Fitness”" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14, no. 11: 1352. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111352