Hairdressing

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Hairdressing Overview

Hygiene and Cleaning Guidelines | Structural and Sanitary Requirements

All hairdressing establishments are required to be registered. This section contains information for business owners to meet the minimum standards for registration.

To recieve a Certificate of Registration, the premise must comply with the structural and sanitary requirements set down in the Health (Hairdressers) Regulation 1980.

The certificate of registration needs to be displayed in a public part of the premises.

New premises must also have a code compliance certificate as required under the Building Act 2004 and meet all other legislation requirements before final approval can be given.

You are encouraged to apply for a PIM (project information memorandum) early on in your planning to establish the feasibility and design of the project.

Building change of use (converting a residential property into a business)

How can we help you?

In addition to the our Environmental Health Team, you can work with our planning and building consents team to ensure you meet all the relevant health and building regulations.

The Planning Team can offer advice on the our District Plan and information on parking requirements, advertising and likely future patterns of development in that area.

Building Consent Officers can help with construction requirements, change of use conditions, plumbing and drainage, egress, number of sanitary fixtures and access for disabled people. Building consent will be required for any work done.

The Environmental Health Officers can provide information on health requirements, inspections and the issue of registration.

Application for registration

Your application for registration of a hairdressing premises should consist of a completed application for hairdressing premises licence form and the application fee.

Health Act registration form (1MB PDF)Return to top

What happens next?

After making an application for registration, and nearer to the proposed opening date, the Environmental Health Officer must be contacted to arrange a final evaluation of the premises to check that work has been completed in accordance with the approved plans. Work requiring a building consent requires a code compliance certificate. This must be available before the Environmental Health Officer’s visit.

Provided the premise has been completed in accordance with the approved plans, and the certificate of registration is issued, you can open for business.

It is an offence to operate the premise prior to the issue of a certificate of registration.

Ongoing checks

Once the premise is registered ongoing checks will be carried out by Environmental Health Officers to ensure safe hygiene practices are met and minimum standards of health are maintained. Officers may arrive at any reasonable time (Section 128 of the Health Act 1956) and are not obliged to make an appointment prior to the visit. This means you can expect a visit any time while you are operating.

Registration renewal

Your registration must be renewed every year. The registration period runs from 1 July to 30 June.

Home-based hairdressers

Home-based hairdressers (a hairdressing business carried out from a residential dwelling), must be set up in a separate room and also comply with the structural and sanitary requirements outlined separately.

Mobile hairdressers

Mobile hairdressers (hairdressers who travel to customers’ homes/venues and do not have a fixed hairdressing premises) must comply with the requirements relating to the storage, use, cleaning and disinfection of products, appliances and equipment in the structural and sanitary requirements section.