Mum Kate Parker with kids, and Sam Light from Right House Insulation at a Green Bay rental property. Photo / Doug Sherring
Mum Kate Parker with kids, and Sam Light from Right House Insulation at a Green Bay rental property. Photo / Doug Sherring
Happiness for tenants is efficient insulation; for landlords houseful of happy tenants
Happy tenants make happy landlords, says Adam Pogson, one of five property owners who won insulation for their rental houses in a Herald on Sunday competition with Right House and its suppliers.
Like many Kiwis, Green Bay tenants Kate Parker and her family had been feeling the cold this winter."It's an older house and didn't have any insulation under the floor or anything," she said.
With four kids in the house, the Parkers were delighted with the immediate impacts of the insulation. "We've really noticed a difference," Parker said after three days of insulation. "It holds the heat right through the night and into the morning."
Parker hoped less money would be spent on trips to the doctor and cold medications.
The four other winners of insulation for their rental properties were James Jones from Devonport, Susie Green from Pakuranga Heights, Jacqui Thompson from Mission Heights and Manja Brinkman from Flat Bush.
Pogson and his partner bought the house in 2011 with the intention of settling long term. He soon had to move abroad for work but didn't want to sell the house. Fortunately, he found "a wonderful family" who he said looked after the house as if it were their own. After two years overseas, the Pogsons returned, deciding to keep the house as a rental.
Pogson said it was a good home but, like many post-war Kiwi bungalows, it had no underfloor insulation and limited ceiling insulation. "I was living in the house before so I know how cold it can get."
The Pogsons had just moved back to New Zealand and were still sorting out their own accommodation so they couldn't fund insulation. "It's an awesome opportunity to make it warmer for them," Pogson said.
Parker is glad Pogson entered the contest. "They're just young and they're wanting to make the house liveable for us." She was also delighted the Right House crew installed eco-friendly, wool-based insulations.
The Herald on Sunday campaigned last year for warmer homes and encouraged homeowners to insulate properties. The campaign outed MPs who had not insulated their rental properties and drew the support of Prime Minister John Key, who urged landlords to insulate homes.
Key also said the Government would work to insulate every State house, where practicable, that was built before 1978.
Meanwhile, one city is keen on a new "warrant of fitness" for all rental properties. The Dunedin City Council says a new bill would let it enforce minimum standards on rental homes.
