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Healthy Home Standards

Referred to the tenancy service-healthy home standards. Specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties has been introduced by the healthy home standards. The standards will help ensure landlords have healthier, safer properties and lower maintenance costs for their investments.

There are the key dates about the standards below:

  • All private rentals must comply within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy after 1 July 2021, with all private rentals complying by 1 July 2024.
  • All boarding houses must comply by 1 July 2021. All houses rented by KāingaOra (formerly Housing New Zealand) and registered Community Housing Providers must comply by 1 July 2023.

Introduction of the standards:

Heating standard: Landlords must provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room. The heater(s) must be acceptable types, and must meet the minimum heating capacity required for your main living room. The recommended minimum indoor temperature is 18˚C that can be reached by installing heating on the coldest days of the years. More information can be found at https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/heating-standard/

Insulation standard:Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. The healthy homes insulation standard builds on the current regulations and some existing insulation will need to be topped up or replaced. The detail information can be found at https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/insulation-standard/

Ventilation standard: Rental homes must have openable windows in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Kitchens and bathrooms must have extractor fans. It is the standard targets mould and dampness in rental homes.  More information can be found at https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/ventilation-standard/

Moisture ingress and drainage standard: Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water. Rental properties with an enclosed sub-floor space must have a ground moisture barrier.Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall. The drainage system must include gutters, downpipes and drains for the removal of water from the roof. More information can be found at https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/moisture-and-drainage-standard/

Draught stopping standard:Landlords must make sure the property does not have unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, skylights, floors and doors that cause noticeable draughts. All unused open fireplaces closed off or their chimneys must be blocked to prevent draughts. More information can be found at https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/draught/

References:

https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/

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