The Education (Hostels) Regulations 2005: Guidelines

Because it is not possible to account for all hostel circumstances, the regulations establish minimum requirements for facilities and equipment without prescribing exactly how those requirements must be met. The key point to remember is that both you and the Authority must be satisfied that the requirements have been met. You may be able to include cross-referenced sections of hostel publications to support or demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

Also, the regulations do not prevent a hostel from controlling use of these facilities – for example, setting ‘normal’ visiting times or having a booking system for meeting rooms or telecommunications equipment.

The following are examples of facilities which hostels may provide and serve as a prompt for further thinking by hostel owners about what is appropriate for their particular premises.

Boarders’ recreation

Facilities might include social space, television and games room(s), and access to nearby school cultural and sporting facilities and equipment. If the hostel is remotely located from the school, similar facilities might be provided at the hostel premises or arrangements made for the boarders to have access to other local facilities.

Quiet activities

Quiet places for study such as a ‘prep room’ or private spaces within or adjacent to sleeping areas. Provision might also be made for access to a library, and computers for research and recreation.

Food preparation

Facilities might include a place to make hot drinks and heat snack foods adjacent to recreation areas, and/or flat style accommodation with self-catering facilities. Student access to the main hostel kitchen should be restricted because of food hygiene and health and safety concerns.

Eating

A communal dining room, and/or flat-style accommodation with separate dining facilities are two examples of what might be appropriate.

Sleeping

Sleeping arrangements will vary between hostels and there is no intention to prevent the use of dormitory-style sleeping facilities. Consideration should, however, be given to the need to separate boarders for reasons such as differences in age, sex, or any special needs.

New Zealand Standard NZS 9201: Part 3:1999 (Model General Bylaw – Hostels) has the following guidelines on the numbers of people who should be permitted to occupy a ‘bedroom’. The Authority will consider space requirements when determining the maximum number of boarders a hostel may accommodate.

Number of persons permitted to sleep in a bedroom

_{¹ For the purposes of this table ½ a person means a child who is one year or more but under 10 years of age 
² For the purposes of this table an existing building means a building existing before 10 October 1947 when the Housing Improvement Regulations 1947 came into force}

Personal hygiene and privacy 

Where there are open or shared sleeping spaces, separate changing facilities will be needed to meet the privacy requirements of the regulations. Toilet and bathing areas should be partitioned for a reasonable degree of privacy. They also need to be easily accessible so should be reasonably close to sleeping areas.

Laundering of clothing

Facilities for boarders to wash personal clothing need to be provided on site.

Secure storage of personal effects

The requirements of the regulations could be met through the provision of lockable storage facilities in or close to sleeping areas.

Boarders meeting and communication facilities

The requirement to provide space for students to meet with parents or other visitors in privacy could be met by having a dedicated meeting room.

The use of card phones allows boarders to make prepaid phone calls. A range of other solutions are also available to manage the use of phones and other telecommunications.

Owing to the range and variation of heating and lighting systems and hostel premises, no specific guidance can be given. It is recommended that you get specialist advice about the adequacy of lighting, heating and ventilation.

General advice is also available in Ministry of Education guidance Health and safety management

Apart from facilities for washing students’ personal clothing (see above), laundering arrangements can be outsourced or provided on-site.

The requirements of the regulations mean that any necessary repairs to the hostel and its facilities should be undertaken without undue delay. It is also recommended that you develop and follow a long-term rolling maintenance plan to ensure your hostel is kept in a state of good repair.

Advice on the preparation of evacuation plans is available from Fire Safety Officers based at the New Zealand Fire Service. Your hostel must already comply with relevant fire safety provisions of the Building Code and may already have an evacuation plan in place.

Guide to emergency planning for schools

Planning and preparing for emergencies – Practical information and guidance for schools and early learning services January 2023 [PDF, 521 KB]

To meet the requirements of the regulations it is recommended that, as far as practicable, you check that items purchased for use in the hostel comply with relevant New Zealand Standards.

The development of a hostel cleaning plan documenting the frequency and methods of cleaning is desirable. Assistance and advice about cleaning plans are available from reputable cleaning chemical suppliers. Suppliers should also be able to provide material safety data sheets for all products used and advice about storage, safe use, and clean-up of spills, or how to deal with accidental exposure to a product.

To meet the requirements of the regulations, it is recommended that an active hazard identification and management system is in place at the hostel.

As illustrated below, an effective health and safety system is a continuous process and requires systematic identification and management of hazards.

Both the Ministry of Education¹ and Worksafe² websites have useful information for developing hazard management plans.

Advice on poisonous plants is available from the biosecurity section of the local Regional Council or Department of Conservation office. In some cases the removal of poisonous plants may be the safest option to achieve compliance.

¹ Student well-being in school boarding accommodation(external link)

² Worksafe at Schools: Getting Started; Guidance by Hazard Type(external link)

You must make provisions for first aid, including supplying equipment and supplies, and trained staff.

A first aid kit containing the following items is suitable for a hostel accommodating 75 people.

First aid training should be completed to certificate standard and be based on a New Zealand Qualifications Authority approved course. Refer to the yellow pages or your local phone book for suitable providers.