Terms of use

About Empty Homes

For some years the Wise Group has been concerned about the growing housing crisis in New Zealand. A lack of suitable housing has far-reaching impacts on people’s health and wellbeing. In 2016 we started scoping a project to understand more about the large number of empty homes in New Zealand, and identify if some had potential to be re-occupied and become a source of housing for essential workers such as nurses, teachers, social workers, emergency service personnel and others. The Empty Homes initiative received funding in 2021 for a short-term project and Hamilton-based trial to find and fill empty homes.

The Wise Group has established the Empty Homes website (“site”) for property owners for your own personal use without any fees or charges.

We may suspend, terminate or restrict your access if you breach any of these terms. We may modify, change or update any part of the website at any time, with or without notice.

Before using Empty Homes

You’ll need an active internet connection to access the website and form to request the Empty Homes report and Starter Kit.

Privacy Policy

Property ownership and choices made about property use are private matters. Therefore privacy is very important to those who engage with the Empty Homes website and to those who completed the Empty Homes feedback survey that was accessed through the site. We understand, so here’s our privacy policy. We’ve kept it separate from these Terms of Use so that it is quick to find when you’re on our site.

Disclaimer

You agree that your use of the Empty Homes website is at your sole risk. The project funder and the Wise Group (who developed this site) do not guarantee the timeliness, completeness or performance of the Empty Homes website, or any of the site’s forms or content. Requests for the Empty Homes report and/or Starter Kit submitted through the online form accessed on the website, are sent to a secure email address. Enquiries submitted through the site are not monitored 24/7. We can’t take responsibility for the website not working properly or if you don’t have access to the internet.

Any links to other websites, third-party software or tools is not an endorsement or recommendation from the Wise Group or the funder of Empty Homes.

(Now for the really legal stuff….. we have to cover this): To the extent permitted by law, the Wise Group and funder of this website excludes all representations and warranties (whether express or implied by law), including the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security, and accuracy.

Intellectual property rights

The Empty Homes website, its contents and brand are the property of Wise Trust. The website itself and all the trademarks, copyright, database rights and other intellectual property rights related to it, belong to Wise Trust.

Please don’t:

  • copy, reproduce or modify any part of the website, or our trademarks in any way
  • attempt to extract the source code of the website,
  • commercialise any content or services offered in the website
  • try to translate the website into other languages, or make derivative versions.

Any unauthorised use of any trademarks, or any other intellectual property belonging to Wise Trust is strictly prohibited.

Use and restrictions

The information in Empty Homes has been carefully put together to ensure minimal risk of harm to the user. When using the site, we rely on you to provide accurate information and not deliberately provide misleading information.

If you choose not to identify yourself, provide inaccurate or incomplete information when submitting an enquiry through the website, we will be unable to either engage further or respond to you appropriately.

You agree to use the website in a way that does not infringe upon the copyright, moral rights, publicity rights, privacy rights or any other right of any person, or violate any law or judicial or governmental order.

Governing law

This website is governed by New Zealand law, and the courts of New Zealand have exclusive jurisdiction.

The website may not comply with laws of countries outside of New Zealand. If you access this website from another country it is your responsibility to comply with the laws of that country.

Please don’t cause any damage to Empty Homes

It is unlawful to intentionally cause damage to this website. You accept that you need to ensure that the desktop or mobile device you use to access Empty Homes (www.emptyhomes.co.nz) is secure, and free from all forms of corruption, including viruses.

Finally

We reserve the right to make changes to Empty Homes at any time and for any reason. All changes will be effective immediately upon their posting to the website. Material changes will be posted conspicuously on the website. By accessing the website and following posting of changes to the Terms of Use, you agree to all such changes.

If Empty Homes is discontinued we reserve the right to disconnect the website at any time without giving notice of termination.

The Empty Homes feasibility study was an independent project of the Wise Group, a charitable trust.

Terms of use | Privacy Policy

Made possible with funding from the New Zealand Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.