Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Better deal will hit landlords

Bay of Plenty Times
9 Jul, 2015 08:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Dan Lusby, Tauranga Rentals owner, says the new rental requirements may force out some landlords.

Dan Lusby, Tauranga Rentals owner, says the new rental requirements may force out some landlords.

Tauranga landlords and property investors say the Government's decision to tighten rental-property requirements meant great news for tenants, but an added expense for landlords.

Every rental property in New Zealand will have to be fully insulated and fitted with smoke alarms within four years, the Government confirmed yesterday.

Housing Minister Nick Smith announced plans to strengthen residential tenancy laws, including requirements for landlords to provide smoke alarms and insulation, and to declare the standard of insulation on tenancy agreements.

"The new law will require retrofitting of ceiling and underfloor insulation in rental homes over the next four years," Dr Smith said.

The requirement would apply from July for Government-subsidised social housing and from July 2019 for all other rentals including boarding houses.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tauranga Rentals owner Dan Lusby said though great news for tenants it would be expensive for rental owners.

"I don't know how that's going to play out for those who can't afford it, whether that means they have to sell up and get out of the business, I don't know," Mr Lusby said.

But the health benefits tenants would receive from living in a well-insulated home would be substantial, he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"From a tenant side of things, it'll be really good for their health. If we can get rid of mould and dampness in houses - that's really great. They'll have healthier children, they'll be able to do their jobs better and it'll be cheaper for them to heat their houses.

"They'll also stay longer in their houses too, which is benefit of the owners as well."

Mr Lusby believed the only way the new requirements could be enforced would be from Government subsidies.

Dr Smith said landlords would save money in the long run from investing in insulation. They could seek a subsidy through the "Warm up New Zealand: Healthy Homes" scheme, but funding for that was only guaranteed until June.

Discover more

House values overtake 2007 peak for the first time

02 Jul 12:00 AM

Property values jump 7.3%

02 Jul 10:02 PM

More help arrives to get on the ladder

05 Jul 02:00 AM

Labour: Rentals hike out of step

07 Jul 04:00 AM

There would be some exceptions, such as in houses where it was physically impossible to retrofit insulation.

Smoke alarms would be compulsory from July, and he said smoke alarms would save three lives every year.

Property Investors Association president Grant Harris welcomed the rental requirements over the previous Warrent of Fitness trial, but said the expenses were not encouraging for landlords.

"My preference would be for Government to incentivise with landlords rather than opposing regulations on them and that's the way of keep the costs to a minimum for everybody."

A Cabinet paper showed Dr Smith deemed a "Warrant of Fitness" trial for homes less cost-effective "for tenants, landlords or society".

Dr Smith said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will have powers to investigate and prosecute landlords for breaking tenancy laws as part of the new reform, particularly if there is risk to the tenants' health and safety.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The changes will also ensure tenants can take concerns to the Tenancy Tribunal without fear of being evicted for doing so."

A total of 180,000 New Zealand homes required insulation and 120,000 needed smoke alarms.

"The health benefits of this will be reduced hospitalisations from circulatory and respiratory illnesses, reduced pharmaceutical costs, and fewer days off work and school," Dr Smith said.

New rules
•All rental properties must be insulated by July 2019, though exemptions apply to nearly 100,000 homes.
•Smoke alarms must be installed in all rentals from July 2016, but tenants will be responsible for replacing batteries and notifying landlords of defects.
•New powers to prosecute landlords for breaking tenancy regulations, particularly where tenants' health and safety is at risk.
•The changes ensure tenants can take concerns to the Tenancy Tribunal without fear of retaliatory evictions.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

09 Jul 12:26 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

Rugby showdown: Local teams gear up for Baywide semis

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Whakarewarewa dominated Te Puna with a 57-10 win in Rotorua.

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

Rain train: Weather watches keep rolling in for Bay of Plenty

09 Jul 01:32 AM
'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

'I wasn't prepared to wait': Youngest Govt MP on seizing his big opportunity

09 Jul 12:26 AM
'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

'Ecstatic' reunion: Cat found after year-long disappearance

09 Jul 12:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP