Healthy Homes Assessments
Everyone deserves a home that's warm, dry, and safe.
As a homeowner or property manager, you are legally responsible for ensuring your rental property meets the Healthy Homes Standards as part of the Residential Tenancies Act. Investment properties must comply with a list of necessary regulations for any dwelling. Houses must meet the residential property inspection standard to be considered ‘rent-worthy’, and you are legally obliged to provide a Healthy Homes compliance statement in your tenancy agreement.
How do you know if your home is compliant?
We will provide an assessment of your property to make sure it meets the following standards:
Heating
Under the heating standard there must be a fixed heaters) that can directly heat the main living room. It must be at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for your living room.
Insulation
Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes since 1July 2019. The healthy homes insulation standard builds on the current regulations and some existing insulation will need to be topped up or replaced.
Ventilation
Al habitable rooms in a rental property must have at least one window, door or skylight which opens to the outside and can be fixed in the open position. All kitchens and bathrooms must have an extractor fan vented to the outside.
Moisture Ingress and Drainage
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.
If the rental property has an enclosed subfloor, a ground moisture barrier must be installed fi it is reasonably practicable to do so.
Draught Stopping
Landlords must make sure the property doesn’t have unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, skylights, floors and doors which cause noticeable draughts. Al unused open fireplaces closed off or their chimneys must be blocked to prevent draughts.
Following these standards and maintaining your property makes your investment less susceptible to moisture damage or mould-related issues requiring costly repairs. Improving the quality for future tenants provides a healthier, drier, and safer home that’s much more attractive to renters.
Find out more about what standards you need to meet here
Stan is one of 20 NZGBC qualified HomeFit Assessors in New Zealand and can provide you with a detailed assessment to include in your tenancy agreement.
