Knowledge Blog

By now, we’re sure you are very aware of the Healthy Homes Standards. To quickly recap, they are a series of regulations that have introduced specific and minimum standards for rental properties around heating, insulation, ventilation, draught stoppage, and moisture ingress and drainage.

If we showed you five photos of five different houses, would you know which ones complied with New Zealand tenancy law?

In New Zealand, all landlords and tenants have rights and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act). A rental property must meet compliance guidelines set out by the Act and the Healthy Homes Standards.

Some people mistakenly assume that older homes are more likely than new builds to have compliance issues. In fact, the age of a home is not often a determining factor. What matters most is the knowledge of tenancy law and the Healthy Homes Standards that the property owner or landlord has (and their willingness to comply).

We’ve even seen brand new builds fail compliance checks because builders have missed steps or have tried to take short-cuts. Ultimately, as a landlord, you are responsible for making sure your property is compliant before renting it.