About the standards

The healthy homes standards, which became law on 1 July 2019, introduced minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.

They will help you to keep your home warm, dry and healthy.

Landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties meet the healthy homes standards and continue to do so over time. You can help too, with healthy habits – and we have some tips below.

Why the standards are important

More than 600,000 households rent in New Zealand, and research tells us that our rental stock is poorer quality than owner-occupied homes. It also shows a link between cold, damp and mouldy homes and poorer health, particularly for illnesses such as asthma and cardiovascular conditions.

By improving the quality of rental homes, New Zealanders who rent will experience improved health, as well as lower medical costs and lower levels of hospitalisations. Warmer and drier homes are also less likely to have issues with mould or mildew damage, better protecting a landlord’s investment.

Looking for a new rental?

Use our healthy homes toolkit to help you understand what to look out for, and the important questions to ask. 

Healthy homes toolkit for tenants

Our tenant healthy homes standards checklist can help you check if your rental checks out.

Tenant healthy homes standard checklist

What are the standards?

Heating

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.
Heating standard

Insulation

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.
Insulation standard

Ventilation

Each liveable space must have a window or door that opens to the outside and can be fixed in the open position. Kitchens and bathrooms must also have an extractor fan to remove moisture.
Ventilation standard

Moisture ingress and drainage

A rental property must have efficient drainage, guttering and downpipes for the removal of stormwater, surface water and ground water.

Where there is an enclosed sub-floor, a ground moisture barrier is required.
Moisture ingress and drainage standard

Draught stopping

Landlords must block any unreasonable gaps or holes, in walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors, that cause noticeable draughts.
Draught stopping standard

When the standards do not apply

In some situations, a property will not be required to comply with the healthy homes standards or parts of the standards. This is called an exemption.
Find out more about exemptions

When the standards need to be met

All rental properties will need to comply with the healthy homes standards by 1 July 2025.

Until then, your landlord must make sure your rental meets the standards within certain time frames. The time frame depends on what type of tenancy it is, or when a new tenancy starts or is renewed.

Use our decision tool to find out when your rental must comply.

Compliance timeframes decision tool

Your landlord can access the house to do work to comply, or prepare to comply, with the healthy homes standards. They must give you 24 hours’ notice before entering.

What to do if your rental doesn’t comply by its deadline

Landlords who don’t meet their obligations under the healthy homes standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and may face consequences like financial penalties or other enforcement action.

If your rental does not meet the standards by its deadline, talk to your landlord. There may be good reasons why they haven’t been able to meet the deadline for a particular standard – for example, supply issues. If you reach an agreement, record it in writing, then sign and date it.

If you can’t come to an agreement on how to sort out the problem, you can give your landlord a ‘notice to remedy’. This gives the landlord a fixed amount of time to get the work done. The amount of time must be reasonable.

If the landlord does not fix the problem in the time allowed, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to sort the matter out.

Our page about breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act has more information about serving a notice to remedy.

Breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act 

Healthy habits – how to play your part

Your landlord is responsible for making sure your rental meets and continues to meet the healthy homes standards but you, as the tenant, have a part to play too.

You are responsible for keeping the property reasonably clean and tidy, and letting your landlord know about any damage or repairs that are needed. Things like blocked or leaking downpipes and gutters, leaks in pipes, dampness or leaks in walls or ceilings, can cause major problems if left unfixed – so make sure you let your landlord know about them as soon as possible.

Here are some other simple things you can do in your home to reduce moisture and make it easier to keep your home and your whānau warm and healthy.

• Open your windows and doors in the morning to give the house a good airing out – 15 minutes should do it.
• Dry your washing outside if you can, or in a room with the doors closed and a window open.
• Use the extractor fans in your bathroom and kitchen and open your windows when showering or cooking.
• Use lids on your pots when cooking.
• Wipe off any condensation from the windows.
• Move your furniture away from the walls so there is a gap to let the air flow through.
• Air out a room after you leave it and turn off the heater. By releasing the heat you’ll avoid condensation.