Healthy Homes Standards

Hi Everyone

By now, you will have all heard in some form or another about the New healthy homes standards for rental properties in New Zealand becoming law on 1 July 2019. 

These new standards were introduced following research that the government commissioned to investigate the link between rental property standards and the general well-being and health of the nearly 600,000 households that rent in New Zealand.

The research found that warmer and drier homes are also less likely to have issues with mould or mildew damage, which is substantially better for tenants health not to mention it being far better for the property therefore protecting landlord’s investments.

So, what is the main information that we all need to know?

The healthy homes standard incorporates five aspects of a property, which all contribute to a warm and dry home.

These categories are: Insulation, Heating, Ventilation, Moisture and drainage and Draught stopping.

All of these areas will need to be addressed for every rental property in NZ and as your property management partner, we will be working with you on the plan to ensure that you and your properties are protected and compliant for the benefit of both the tenants and yourselves

So what’s first?

From the 1st July 2019, every property must have a signed Insulation statement, showing the standard of the insulation within a property and confirming that the property meets the minimum insulation standards. This document MUST be included with each new tenancy agreement signed.

Also, the other document that needs to be included from the 1st July is the Healthy Homes Standards Statement signed by the Landlord, confirming 1 of 2 statements. The first is that the property is compliant NOW OR secondly that the property WILL be made compliant indicating that the landlord intends to make changes to the property so that it will comply by the required date.

Even if the property is not compliant in ALL respects, we still need to have the Healthy Homes Standards Statement signed by the Landlord.

Remember, it is a legal requirement to have both the Insulation statement AND the Healthy Homes Standards Statement signed and held on record, BUT as far as having the property fully compliant in ALL respects – this is not required until 1st July 2024.

However, and this is something that MOST people are not aware of. IF we have tenants starting a new tenancy any time after 1st July 2021, then the property MUST be made compliant within 90 -days – as if it were meeting the 2024 deadline.

OK, Most of you now know that the Insulation aspect of the HEALTHY homes Standard has now all been completed, which has been a huge undertaking for the many hundreds of our Landlords and to you all we thank you for your assistance and support to ensure that your property is compliant.

However, we still need to discuss the remaining 4 categories, so in the next update scheduled for next week, we will cover these for you.

Until then, have an amazing week and remember, you’ve invested in property, now invest in Peace of Mind, with Harcourts Hoverd & Co Property Management, Property Management Done Right !