Human Rights Act

The Human Rights Act 1993 (HRA) aims to provide better protection of human rights in New Zealand.  

This means that if you’re advertising goods or services on the site, e.g. listing a job or a rental property, you can’t discriminate against people on a number of grounds.

The following list summarises the prohibited grounds of discrimination:

• Sex
• Marital status (e.g. single, married, in a civil union or a de facto relationship, separated, a party to a marriage or civil union now dissolved, widowed)
• Religious belief (or lack of religious belief)
• Ethical belief
• Colour
• Race
• Ethnic or national origins (includes nationality and citizenship)
• Disability
• Age
• Political opinion (including having no political opinion)
• Employment status (e.g. being unemployed or receiving either a Social Security benefit or ACC)
• Family status (e.g. having dependents, not having dependents, being married to, or in a civil union or de facto relationship with, a particular person or being a relative of a particular person)
• Sexual orientation

There are a few exceptions to this, such as flatmates wanted. You can find out more about flatmates wanted listings on our Trust & Safety blog.

For more information on human rights and the HRA, check out the Human Rights Commission website.