Government Releases Proposed Standards for Healthy Rental Homes
Monday 25 February 2019
Phil Twyford gave a summary of the key areas he is putting before cabinet mid this year, they include;
- A permanent form of heating that can heat the main living area to 18 degrees Celsius – this is likely to be an efficient form i.e. log burner or heat pump unless the property is small and does not need a very high output unit. Tenancy Services will be creating a table to help with this calculation.
- Have ceiling and underfloor insulation that meets 2008 Building Code insulation standard or for existing insulation be 120mm thick for the ceiling. Ceiling needs to be 3.3R and underfloor 1.3R. This is different from the Residential tenancies (smoke alarm and insulation) Regulations 2016 which states the minimum ceiling insulation to be 1.9R and 0.9R underfloor when it was installed. Retrofit needs to be 3.3R ceiling and 1.3R underfloor.
- Rental homes are to have extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms; (this is a good thing as it will cut down on condensation).
- Properties with enclosed sub-floor spaces are required to have a ground moisture barrier to stop moisture rising into the home (usually polyethene).
- The standards reinforce existing law that says landlords must have adequate drainage and guttering to prevent water from entering the home.
- Draughts that make a home harder to heat will need to be blocked off.
Proposed timelines:
- Mid 2019
Regulations approved and become law
- 1 July 2021
Private landlords must ensure their properties comply with the standards within 90 days of a new tenancy or renewal of tenancy.
- 1 July 2024
All rental homes must comply.
For more information, click here to read the official release.
You can also click here to go to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development website for all information and documents relating to the Healthy Homes standard.
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