Health Act 1956

Powers and duties of local authorities - Buildings

41: Owners or occupiers may be required to cleanse premises

You could also call this:

"People in charge can make you clean a dirty place to keep everyone healthy"

If a local authority thinks a place is unhealthy, it can make the owner clean it. The local authority will send an order telling the owner how and when to clean the place. You have to follow the order or the local authority will clean the place and you will have to pay.

If you get an order to clean a place and you do not do it, you are breaking the law. The local authority can then clean the place and you will have to pay for the cleaning. You will also get in trouble for not following the order.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM306971.

40: Sanitary requirements for business premises, or

"Keeping businesses clean and hygienic"

42: Local authority may require repairs and issue closing order, or

"The local authority can make you fix your house if it's unhealthy or unsafe to live in."

Part 2Powers and duties of local authorities
Buildings

41Owners or occupiers may be required to cleanse premises

If any local authority is of opinion that the cleansing of any premises is necessary for preventing danger to health or for rendering the premises fit for occupation, it may cause an order (in this section referred to as a cleansing order) to be served on the owner or occupier of the premises requiring him to cleanse the same in the manner and within the time specified in the order in that behalf.
If the person on whom the cleansing order is served does not comply therewith, the local authority may cause the premises to be cleansed in the manner specified in the order at the cost in all things of the owner or occupier.
Every person commits an offence against this Act who fails to comply with any cleansing order served on him under this section.