Accountability · Complaints channel
Complaints about this site
If you believe content on Homeowner.org.nz is factually wrong, misleading, in breach of your privacy, or harmful to you in any other way, this page describes the complaint process. We take complaints about our own content seriously. The quality of what we publish depends on being willing to correct errors.
What this page covers
This process applies to content, conduct, or material published on Homeowner.org.nz itself — not to complaints about real estate agents, inspectors, or other industry parties. For complaints about industry conduct:
- Real estate agents: Real Estate Authority. See our REA complaint skeleton and REA complaints: the realistic outcome.
- Privacy issues (industry or site): Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
- Fair Trading Act issues: Commerce Commission.
Complaint categories
Factual error
A specific claim, citation, number, or reference is wrong. The most common category and usually the fastest to resolve.
Misleading framing
The content is technically accurate but the framing misleads. Handled with editorial review; may result in rewrites.
Privacy breach
Content published about you that you did not consent to, or that identifies you when it should not. Urgent priority.
Defamation
Content that could be defamatory under NZ law. Urgent priority; content may be temporarily withdrawn pending review.
Harassment or intimidation
Content or conduct from the site or its contributors that you perceive as harassing. Handled under the moderation policy.
Other
Anything that does not fit the above categories. We will triage and respond.
How to file a complaint
- Email [email protected] with subject line: "Complaint — [category] — [page URL or title]".
- Include: the specific page or content you're complaining about, the nature of your complaint, what outcome you are seeking (correction, removal, apology, response).
- If it involves your personal information: describe the information and why it should not be where it is.
- If you are a registered member: include your account email so we can link the complaint to your account if appropriate.
Response timeframes
- Acknowledgement: Within 2 working days.
- Initial response: Within 5 working days for factual errors and misleading framing.
- Urgent (privacy, defamation): Within 24 hours for initial acknowledgement; urgent content temporarily withdrawn within that period if the complaint is plausibly made out.
- Resolution: Within 14 days for most categories. Longer for complex or novel issues; we will update you on progress.
What outcomes are available
- Correction — the error is corrected; the changelog records the change.
- Clarification — the content is amended to address the framing concern.
- Removal — content withdrawn from publication.
- Anonymisation or redaction — where the content refers to you and should not.
- Apology — where appropriate.
- No change — where the content is accurate and appropriate, with a written explanation of why.
If you are not satisfied
If you are not satisfied with our response:
- Appeal internally. Request review by a different moderator; decision within 10 working days.
- Privacy matters: Complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. Free.
- Legal action: Consult a lawyer.
Complaints we will publish (aggregated)
Post-v1.0, aggregated complaint statistics will be published — counts by category, resolution rates, time-to-resolution. Individual complaints are private unless the complainant requests publication. This is the same standard the site asks of the industry: aggregated transparency about regulator performance.