The Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations was passed in 2019, meaning that 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 Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) and registered Community Housing Providers must comply by 1 July 2023.
Healthy Homes NZ technicians can provide a full audit of your property against the five standards of the healthy homes’ standards, and report on what you may need to do to meet these new requirements.
The standards set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, as well as rules to stop draughts, in all residential rental properties across the country. From mid-2021, all rental homes will be required by law to have a heating device that can heat a main living area to 18C.
Landlords adding a new heater to a room with existing heating, each heater must meet the requirements in the healthy homes’ standards, with one exception. If your existing heating doesn’t have the required heating capacity, you can add a smaller fixed electric heater to ‘top up’ your heating. If you do, you must meet all these conditions:
you installed your existing heating before 1 July 2019
the required heating capacity is more than 2.4 kW
the ‘top up’ you need is 1.5 kW or less.
For example, if you have a heat pump with a heating capacity of 3.3 kW, but you need a total heating capacity of 4.5 kW, you can add a fixed 1.5 kW electric heater with a thermostat to meet the standard.
When a home is warm and dry, tenants are less likely to suffer health problems caused by cold and damp. Avoidable illnesses can result in unplanned medical bills and time off work and these extra costs can increase the risk of missed rent payments. Tenants are also likely to stay longer if their home is warm and cheap to heat.
Healthy Homes highly recommend speaking with a healthy homes’ standards professional before purchasing and installing heat pumps in your rental properties. This way you can be sure a) you buy a heater with the right capacity, and b) it is installed in the correct location.
A well-insulated home that has energy-efficient heating and appliances is easier to market and can attract a higher rent, so for more information on Hamilton home maintenance, mould testing Christchurch and healthy homes assessments please go to https://www.healthyhomesnz.co.nz .
