Home | Browse Topics | Community life | Neighbourhood life | Neighbourhood life

Community life

Chapters in this topic

Neighbourhood life

Responsibilities for you, your neighbours and your community

What this chapter covers

  • Dogs and other animals
    Your responsibilities as a pet owner, and care and control of your pet including registration, microchipping, and barking and dangerous dogs
  • Noise
    What the council can do if you make too much noise
  • Begging, busking and sleeping rough
    Your rights to ask people for money, perform in public for money and
    sleep outside
  • Outdoor fires
    Rules about outdoor fires
  • Trespassing
    The law on trespassing – warnings, trespass notices and offences
  • Fences
    Building and repairing fences, and fencing notices
  • Trees
    Your rights to trim and remove dangerous or overhanging trees
  • Where to go for more support
    Other information and resources
Next Section | Dogs and other animals

Did this answer your question?

Neighbourhood life

Where to go for more support

General information about neighbourhood issues

Community Law

Your local Community Law Centre can provide you with free initial legal advice.

Find your local Community Law Centre online: www.communitylaw.org.nz/our-law-centres

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

CAB provides free, confidential and independent information and advice. Your local CAB may be able to help you work your way through a problem with your neighbour.

Website: www.cab.org.nz
Phone: 0800 367 222
Facebook: www.facebook.com/citizensadvicenz

Find your local CAB office: www.cab.org.nz/find-a-cab

Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ provides information on a range of neighbourhood problems.

Website: www.consumer.org.nz/search?query=neighbours
Email: info@consumer.org.nz
Phone: 0800 266 786

Help in Wellington

Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) is the leading social service in Wellington working with people who are experiencing homelessness – in particular, those who are rough sleeping or without shelter.

Website: www.dcm.org.nz
Email: office@dcm.org.nz
Phone: 0800 119 689

Support in Christchurch

The Christchurch City Mission provides emergency beds to people in Christchurch that have nowhere else to go. They also have Whakaora Kāinga transitional housing, which provides communal transitional living.

Website: www.citymission.org.nz/homelessness-and-housing
Email: info@citymission.org.nz
Phone: 0800 787 855
Whakaora Kāinga: www.citymission.org.nz/whakaora-kainga-transitional-housing

Support in Dunedin

Dunedin Night Shelter provides emergency accommodation and a transitional housing programme in Dunedin.

Website: www.dunedinnightshelter.co.nz
Email: info@dunedinnightshelter.co.nz
Phone: 0800 745 569

Also available as a book

The Community Law Manual

The Manual contains over 1000 pages of easy-to-read legal info and comprehensive answers to common legal questions. From ACC to family law, health & disability, jobs, benefits & flats, Tāonga Māori, immigration and refugee law and much more, the Manual covers just about every area of community and personal life.

Buy The Community Law Manual

Help the manual

We’re a small team that relies on the generosity of all our supporters. You can make a one-off donation or become a supporter by sponsoring the Manual for a community organisation near you. Every contribution helps us to continue updating and improving our legal information, year after year.

Donate Become a Supporter

Find the Answer to your Legal Question

back to top