Rentals reforms welcomed

Richard Evans, co-director of Rotorua Rentals, was confident requiring landlords to provide smoke alarms would prove popular. Photo / Andrew Warner

Legislation requiring landlords to install smoke alarms and insulation in all rental properties has been described as "long overdue" by a Rotorua lettings agent, and welcomed by students and property investors.

National's Minister for Building and Housing Dr Nick Smith yesterday announced reforms that would make "homes warmer, drier and safer for hundreds of thousands of New Zealand families".

The new measures would require all rental properties to be retrofitted with underfloor and ceiling insulation by July 2019, and make smoke alarms mandatory in rental properties from next July.

Richard Evans, co-director of Rotorua Rentals, was confident requiring landlords to provide smoke alarms would prove popular - and not just for tenants. "The industry in general will be very pleased that this has come in," Mr Evans said.

"It's a very good move, and long overdue."

Mr Evans also believed that insulation requirements would have a "firming up" effect in the Rotorua rental market: professional landlords would be largely unaffected, while less scrupulous ones would find it harder to offer sub-standard accommodation.

It was a view shared by Rotorua Property Investors Association president Debbie Van den Broek.

"For responsible landlords, there will probably be no changes."

The reforms also require landlords to state insulation and heating levels in tenancy agreements. Mrs Van den Broek said tenants were best served when landlords were more accountable.

"You have tenants living in cold and damp accommodation. I've been quite horrified by the number of properties like that.

"Some of those people [landlords] are just creaming money off our Rotorua tenants."

The Government estimates 80,000 homes will require insulation under the new reforms, although there will be exemptions for those with insurmountable design issues, such as limited underfloor space.

Around 120,000 homes will require new smoke alarms.

Amy Uluave, president of the Waiariki Institute of Technology Students Association, said the reforms were a "great step forward" in protecting students from finding themselves in damp and cold accommodation.

But she did express some concerns that landlords may increase rent as a result of higher upkeep costs.

Rotorua Labour spokesman Tamati Coffey said the reforms would "no doubt" have a positive effect, citingsavings in public health spending.

But he claimed the Government was not moving quickly enough, and said the reforms still had some way to go.

"The timeframe is very generous, only four more bitterly cold winters to go until the transition in complete."

Rental property reforms
•Underfloor and ceiling insulation in all rental properties by July 2019 (July 2016 for social housing)
•Landlords to state in tenancy agreements the level of ceiling, underfloor and wall insulation by July 2016
•Smoke alarms required in all tenanted properties from July 2016
•180,000 homes to be insulated (with exemptions)
•120,000 to be installed with smoke alarms

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