However, highlights include that all rentals must have one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room; they must have ceiling and underfloor insulation; living and dining rooms, kitchens and bedrooms need windows that open, kitchens and bathrooms must have extractor fans, and properties need to have efficient drainage.
These standards, officially called The Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019, have been phased in since July 1, 2019.
Failing to comply can result in exemplary damages of up to $7200 being awarded.
One landlord who has been ensuring his rentals make the grade and meet the deadline is Aucklander Peter Lewis.
Lewis owns 12 rental properties and has spent the past three years improving them. He spoke to the Herald this month, saying he had just one extractor fan to go.
He’s an example of a responsible landlord and deserves praise.
But even Lewis has niggles about the rules. He questions why they don’t apply to owner-occupiers, retirement villages and motels.
They are reasonable questions. However, it was always going to be a stretch to cover every type of accommodation. The residential rental market is the focus, and for good reason.
This is where the changes can have a dramatic impact, given that there are about 500,000 rentals in New Zealand, and they can protect people who don’t own the properties.
The rental market can be fraught, if not heartbreaking, for some landlords and tenants.
Most of the time, it goes well. But we have all heard and read the stories where it hasn’t.
There have been landlords, decent people just trying to get ahead, caught out by bad tenants. On the flipside, some landlords or their agents rent out substandard properties.
One example, outlined in a Herald report last weekend, involved the Tenancy Tribunal ordering a property management business to pay $3500 in exemplary damages after a North Shore rental breached Healthy Homes standards.
There were issues with insulation, ventilation and heating. The tenant said there was persistent black mould in the bathroom and cited health risks.
The Healthy Homes standards draw a line in the sand.
Of course, there will be landlords who believe the changes go too far. After all, why can’t a tenant pay for the fixed heater in the lounge and is an extractor fan in the kitchen necessary?
They might also say that meeting the standards will force some landlords to sell or put them under financial pressure.
That’s too bad. Anyone who can afford to own one or more rentals needs to ensure they have the means to meet the required standards for their tenants.
The standards should also come as no surprise to landlords and professional tenancy managers. They were signalled six years ago and have been rolled out over that time. There is also plenty of information available on government websites.
There is no excuse for ignorance or taking advantage of vulnerable people who cannot afford to own their own homes.
The July 1 deadline is timely as we head towards the middle of winter.
It is a basic right to live in a warm, dry, healthy home. The positive knock-on impacts are huge for people’s health and welfare.
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