Summary report on student accommodation monitoring

Learner wellbeing and safety in student accommodation

The Code defines learner wellbeing and safety as having a positive frame of mind, resilience, satisfaction with self, relationships, and experiences and progressing towards learning outcomes sought. It also means being healthy and feeling secure.

The Code aims to enable learners’ academic success through promoting wellbeing and safety.

Student accommodation is covered in the Code.

All tertiary education providers and school signatories to the Code are required to foster learning environments that are safe and designed to support the positive learning experiences of diverse learner groups. They also need to support learners to manage their physical and mental health through information and advice and identify and respond to learners who need further support.

The Code outlines additional wellbeing and safety practices that providers must have in student accommodation.

The Code defines student accommodation as “student accommodation which is exempt under:

Section 5B of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (external link)

This includes where there is a written agreement between the tertiary provider and the accommodation provider under section 5B(1)(b)(ii)”.

Based on this definition, there are accommodation facilities where many students live that are not considered as student accommodation under the Code, specifically:

• homestay accommodation
• accommodation where providers do not have formal contract(s) with education providers
• accommodation where providers have formal contract(s) with education providers, but where the accommodation is open to the public at the same time.

As Code Administrator, NZQA is responsible for processing applications from providers to become a signatory to the Code, monitoring providers giving effect to the Code and sanctioning providers who breach the Code.

The monitoring of student accommodation has been an important activity since the launch of the Interim Domestic Code in 2020. Monitoring helps us understand how and if providers with student accommodation are meeting the Code’s requirements and complements our other quality assurance activities.

NZQA delegates some Code capability building and monitoring responsibilities to Universities New Zealand (UNZ) under a formal agreement.

Both NZQA and UNZ followed a similar approach to student accommodation monitoring with NZQA attending university student accommodation site visits as an observer.

At the time of publishing this report, all eight universities in New Zealand provide student accommodation under the Code and have been verified as compliant with the Code by UNZ.

UNZ’s report/summary [PDF, 1 MB]

Overall, based on monitoring and providers’ self-review attestations in the past two years since the Code was launched, we found that tertiary student accommodation providers (excluding universities) have the necessary practices in place to meet the wellbeing and safety requirements outlined in the Code.

The following sections discuss the monitoring work from its background, our approach, focus areas, timeline and activities, overview of the sector, and key findings.

Our approach

We used a three-step approach for our monitoring:

1. Desk evaluation
2. Engagement meeting with staff; and
3. Site visit, including meeting with residents.

1. Desk evaluation

We evaluated documentation on student accommodation policies and processes from tertiary education providers with student accommodation.

This step helped us understand the basic arrangements around providers accommodation management and the practices in place to support learners.

It also helped us identify potential gaps and/or risks.

2. Engagement meeting with staff

We met with each education provider’s accommodation staff, listened to their experiences and presentations, and asked questions relating to their areas of work.

This step helped us obtain practical insights into their policies and processes and understand how well the policies and processes were implemented.

These meetings also provided an opportunity to clarify any potential gaps/risks we identified at the desk evaluation step. The engagement meetings were conducted face-to-face or online.

Meetings with accommodation staff were conducted face-to-face during the monitoring pilot in 2021. Monitoring was put on hold in 2022 due to Covid 19 restrictions.

Any further meetings in 2022 and 2023 were held online.

3. Site visit, including meeting with residents

We carried out site visits to each education provider’s student accommodation including viewing their physical accommodation facilities.

The most informative events for us during the visits were focus groups with student accommodation residents.

This step provided us with real insights into student accommodation and student life on site.

Monitoring timeline and activities

In late 2020, we identified eight universities and 32 tertiary education providers providing student accommodation as defined by the Residential Tenancies Act 1986.

In early 2021, we requested attestation of self-review against the IDC requirements from all tertiary education providers and relevant information from 32 tertiary education providers (excluding universities) with student accommodation. The focus was on the areas of chief concern at the Select Committee Inquiry including:

• accommodation contracts
• management of accommodation staff
• resident welfare management
• a communal and cross-cultural living environment
• critical incident and emergency procedures
• house rules and guidelines, and
• accommodation complaints.

As a pilot, we monitored five providers in 2021, evaluating documentation and conducting site visits to speak with staff and student residents on site.

In 2022, we monitored six providers. We met with accommodation staff online in advance of a site visit then met with student residents on site.

In 2023, we completed our monitoring work with 13 providers. We worked together with two Te Pūkenga staff members in 2022 and 2023 to monitor the business divisions of Te Pūkenga.

The below timeline provides an overview of our monitoring activities.

2020

• IDC introduced.
• 8 universities and 32 other tertiary education providers identified as having student accommodation.

2021

• Requested documentation from 32 tertiary education providers (excluding universities).

• Pilot monitoring with 5 providers.

• Covid interruption in the second half of the year.

2022

• The Code launched.

• Covid interruption until September.

• Monitoring with 6 providers.

2023

• Monitoring with 13 providers.

Key findings

Overall, no significant concerns were found during our monitoring of student accommodation.

We provided feedback to each provider when we identified any areas that needed improvements during the monitoring process.

All 24 providers were cooperative and acknowledged the benefits that they received through the process.

Through the monitoring we identified areas of good practice and areas for improvement, these are summarised below.

Good practice

Pre-arrival and transition information

Good strategies and processes to provide as much information as possible to learners before they sign accommodation contracts and various activities are offered to support learners during their transition phase.

For example, a Te Pūkenga business division provides the first two weeks of accommodation free. Learners may exit the accommodation if they do not like living there during the first two weeks.

Supporting a communal, cross-cultural living environment

Policies and processes in place to promote diverse cultures and support resident-led events at their accommodation facilities.

For example, a PTE supports regular resident-led karaoke nights with formal attire (in general or ethnic styles).

Accommodation staff oversight

Good policies and procedures to manage accommodation staff and staff know clearly about their responsibilities and reporting processes.

For example, a Te Pūkenga business division has a detailed escalation procedure and categorised incidents into four levels. Behind the procedure, there was a comprehensive training programme for Resident Assistants (RAs), which supports RAs to understand different types of residents’ issues and concerns.

Resident welfare checks

Policies and processes in place, with closer check-ups for learners who are under 18 years old.

For example, a PTE has a multiple-layer checking system including a buddy scheme (pairs a senior learner with a first-year learner), staff and students have lunch together, lecturers are responsible for following up unexplained absences, and then Academic Deans provide oversight of learner welfare.

Crisis response and emergency management

The emergency practices and important contact lists are detailed in the providers student handbooks and/or on accommodation information noticeboards.

For example, a PTE detailed its check lists into immediate, medium, and long-term actions to take and included major Embassies/High Commissions’ contact information on its external agency list.

Areas for improvement

Information and promotional activities

Some providers did not have enough information available about complaints processes in their house rules and guidelines. This includes information on making a complaint to NZQA as the Code Administrator and the Dispute Resolution Scheme (DRS).

There were two Dispute Resolution Schemes operating before 1 January 2024: I-student and Tertiary Education Dispute Resolution (TEDR).

On 1 January 2024, the two schemes were combined into a single scheme known as Study Complaints – Ngā Amuamu Tauira:

https://www.studycomplaints.org.nz/ (external link)

Accommodation staff training and support

At some providers more policies and processes are needed to support ongoing accommodation staff training, especially mental health training.

Student accommodation contracts

Some providers do not have a process to consider learners’ views when the contract is reviewed and updated.

Promotional information

Some providers do not have any information on student accommodation ownership structure and operator details, or the wellbeing and safety practices offered at the student accommodation facilities.

Data on student accommodation through attestation

Under the Code, providers are required to regularly complete a self-review to identify how well their learner wellbeing and safety goals, plans and practices deliver the outcomes required by the Code.

Subsequently, providers must regularly attest that they have completed a self-review of their performance against the Code requirements.

Attestation results show that most student accommodation providers consider they meet the requirements of the Code.

We have summarised the student accommodation data from attestation submissions in 2022 and 2023 in the table below.

Table: Student accommodation attestation data

	Well-implemented	Well-implemented	Implemented	Implemented	Developing	Developing	Early stage	Early stage
	2023	2022	2023	2022	2023	2022	2023	2022
Outcome 5	62.5%	62.9%	33.3%	28.6%	4.2%	8.5%	0	0
Outcome 6	62.5%	51.4%	29.2%	42.8%	8.3%	2.9%	0	2.9%
Outcome 7	62.5%	62.9%	33.3%	31.4%	4.2%	5.7%	0	0
Overall rating	62.5%	59.1%	31.9%	34.3%	5.6%	5.7%	0	2.9%

From this table, we can see the number of providers who self-identify as being at the Early stage and Developing stages of implementation decreased (from 8.6% in 2022 to 5.6% in 2023).

On the other hand, providers who self-identified as Well-implemented increased (from 59.1% in 2022 to 62.5% in 2023).

These self-assessed ratings aligned with our monitoring where we found effective practices were in place at student accommodation.

What’s next?

As Code Administrator, NZQA is responsible for working with providers so that learners living in student accommodation are safe and well.

Based on our monitoring, we are satisfied with how the accommodation sections of the Code are being implemented.

Our future activities will include:

• monitoring tertiary education providers’ student accommodation through self-review and/or attestation
• continuing to include learner voice in any future student accommodation monitoring (to understand the perspective of diverse learners)
• working with providers whose monitoring was postponed
• working with providers to ensure any new student accommodation arrangements are fit for purpose.