Fixing things in your home
We want your home to be comfortable, safe, and cared for
ŌCHT looks after major repairs and structural safety of homes and community. Tenants and households also play a role in everyday care and upkeep. Working together ensures homes stay warm, dry, and in good condition now and into the future.
Call 0800 624 456
for all maintenance requests
Well-maintained homes help households:
Stay healthy and safe (no leaks, mould, or hazards)
Avoid bigger repair costs down the line
Use heating and ventilation effectively
Feel comfortable and confident in your space
Routine care also protects the long-term value of the property and helps ensure communities are well looked after for everyone.
Why home maintenance matters
Who does what?
Understanding who is responsible for what makes maintenance fair and predictable.
Tenants are responsible for:
Everyday cleaning and basic tidy-up
Small tasks like replacing light bulbs
Garden care (where a garden is part of your tenancy)
Pest control on their own property
Reporting issues early so they don’t get worse
These responsibilities are part of your tenancy obligations and help protect the home.
ŌCHT takes care of things like:
Emergency repairs to protect you and the property from imminent damage that may affect health, safety or security
Essential systems (such as heating, electrical faults, plumbing failures)
Broken fixtures and fittings
Structural repairs
Grounds maintenance
Major maintenance works
If you’re unsure who is responsible for a particular issue, just ask — we’re here to help.
Please call our Housing Champions on
0800 624 456 to report any maintenance issues.
You can make the call 24/7, but out-of-hours we only respond to urgent or emergency repairs to protect you and your home.
Please provide:
Your name and address
A clear description of the problem
When you first noticed it
Photos, if possible
We will:
acknowledge your request
assess the priority
let you know expected response times
How to report an issue
How long will it take?
We will let you know if the maintenance you request will be dealt with urgently.
Urgent requests are usually attended within four hours of the request.
If it is is urgent, please stay home until the contractor arrives and finishes the job.
If you are not home to let the contractor in, you may have to pay for the call out.
Non-urgent jobs will usually be done within 10 working days.
Urgent repairs and non-urgent repairs
Call as ASAP on 0800 624 456 for urgent repairs:
Emergency repairs protect you and the property from imminent damage and any effect on health, safety or security.
Examples include:
An electrical fault, such as sparks or shocks.
Anything relating to fire safety, such as a smoke alarm that is not functioning, or that prevents you from being able to leave the property.
Oven and hob not working, so you have no means of cooking.
No water coming into the property.
Major roof leak in which water enters the home.
No electricity (check your switchboard and/or call your power company to check).
Blocked or broken toilet, and blockages of waste or sewer drains.
A fault in the bathroom that means you can’t wash yourself.
A fault with security, such as broken windows or damaged locks on exterior doors and windows.
A fault or damage that makes your home unsafe or insecure.
Water leaks often need emergency repairs. Please report any water leaks as soon as possible on 0800 624 456.
For non-urgent issues (eg: wear-and-tear):
Let us know by phone or email
We’ll schedule an appropriate time
We’ll keep you updated about when the work will happen
Routine maintenance is important too — the earlier we see it, the easier it is to fix.
Our handy people undertake small repairs, and specialist contractors do the big jobs.
Our handy people and contractors will identify themselves and will arrange a time for repairs or other work to be done.
You can help us by:
being home at the agreed time or giving us plenty of notice if you’re not going to be home
moving furniture and personal items that may be in the way
keeping children and pets out of harm’s way
On the day of the repairs
We also carry out planned maintenance as part of long-term care of homes. We schedule this sort of work with tenants to minimise disruption.
Planned upgrades
If you have a mobility issue, you may be eligible for assistance from organisations such as Enable New Zealand to modify your home.
Please contact us on 0800 624 456 for further information. Our Wellbeing team is here to help.
Please talk to us first if you want to make your own improvements to your home.
Decorating and modifications
