28 August 2020
Does your home meet the standard to be a rental?
Progressively all New Zealand rental properties will have to meet the 5 Healthy Homes Standards in order to be able to be rented out. The standards cover insulation, heating, ventilation, moisture ingress and draught-stopping.
But what about your own home?
Whether you simply want to check the health of your home, you're evaluating a new flat or you're thinking about an investment property - take our test to see if the property is up to standard.
Take the Healthy Homes Standards Test ...
- Does your home have ceiling insulation 120mm thick and in good condition with no gaps, mould or damage?
- Are all accessible underfloor areas insulated?
- If your underfloor area is closed in ... is ground moisture barrier fitted to reduce damp in the house?
- Does your main lounge have a heat pump or new energy efficient log-burner that can heat the room to 18°C even on the coldest day of winter?
- Do all your bathrooms (with a shower or bath) have working extractors that vent to outside?
- Does your kitchen have an extractor or rangehood? And does it vent to outside rather than recirculate internally?
- Does every bedroom and living space have openable windows/doors that can be secured open for ventilation?
- Are your windows, doors, walls free of unreasonable gaps that cause draughts?
- If you have an open fire, is it blocked off if not in use?
- Are all your gutters clear and undamaged and connect to downpipes and drains to effectively manage all storm water?
Unless you can say "Yes" to all these questions then your property would need improvement before it could become a rental once Healthy Homes Standards come into force.
Book a free home assessment today
If you're interested in talking to us about getting these checked for your home, call us today on 0800 888 766 or book here. We will provide you with a free home assessment, quote and guidance on subsidies that may be available to you. You can even spread any costs over 24 months at zero interest with a One Smart Energy Account.
What are the Healthy Homes Standards?
The government’s Healthy Homes Standards set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in almost 600,000 residential rental properties across the country. A lot of kiwi homes, especially older ones, still lack adequate insulation and heating.
The Healthy Homes Standards became law on 1 July 2019 and requires that all rental properties comply with the above specific and minimum standards before July 2024.