Rental properties and healthy homes standards
To improve the quality of rental properties in New Zealand, landlords need to meet the healthy homes standards.
Required healthy homes standards
- Healthy homes standards — Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
- Healthy homes — Tenancy Services
Penalties for not meeting the standards
Not meeting the standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act .
Healthy homes compliance — Tenancy Services
Why the standards exist
The healthy homes standards aim to close the gap in quality between rental properties and owner-occupied homes. Stats NZ explains:
Landlords — check information from Tenancy Services
Renters — check information from Tenancy Services
- What a tenant needs to knowTenancy Services
- Tenant checklist for the healthy homes standardsTenancy Services
Details about each standard for healthy homes
Tenancy Services explains the standards for:
- heatingTenancy Services
- insulationTenancy Services
- ventilationTenancy Services
- moisture ingress and drainageTenancy Services
- draught stoppingTenancy Services.
Compliance statement — new or renewed tenancy agreements
Download the template for the compliance statement. Tenancy Services explains what needs to be included.
Compliance statement — Tenancy Services
Exemptions — when landlords can legally avoid 1 or more of the standards
There are some situations where the landlord can get an exemption. Check Tenancy Services for details about these situations.
Exemptions to the healthy homes standards — Tenancy Services
What happens if rental properties do not meet the standards
If landlords do not have an exemption, they must meet the standards.
- My rental home does not meet the Healthy Homes Standards: what can I do? — Citizens Advice Bureau
- Keeping your home warm and dry: what your landlord has to provide — Community Law
- Dealing with concerns about unhealthy housing — Aratohu Tenant Advocacy
- Contact us — Tenancy Services
Other requirements for rental properties
Laws and bylaws
There are other laws and bylaws landlords must comply with, such as the Building Act .
Laws and bylaws — Tenancy Services
Fire safety requirements
Renting or letting out your home — Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Landlords are legally required to have working smoke alarms installed within 3 metres of every bedroom.
Smoke alarms — Fire and Emergency
Some buildings are required to have an evacuation scheme. Check to see whether your building needs one.
Evacuation schemes and procedures — Fire and Emergency
Utility links and page information
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