The Healthy Homes Standards is about making New Zealand residential rental properties warmer and drier and became law on 1 July 2019. Changes to the Healthy Homes Standards took effect in May and November 2022. They cover requirements for insulation, smoke alarms, heating, ventilation, drainage and draught stopping.
Healthy Homes Standards
What are the new standards?
This section only covers areas of the Healthy Homes Standards where CEA can help.
Insulation
Insulation that was installed between July 2016 and July 2021 will meet the current requirements if it is in reasonable condition (e.g. no mould, dampness or gaps), and it was at least the minimum R-value when it was installed.
After 1 July 2023, the new standards apply to all new, renewed or varied rental contracts. By 1 July 2025, all rental properties will need to comply with the new standards.
Pre 1 July 2023 EECA standards for Canterbury and the West Coast
- Ceiling R4
- Underfloor R1.4
New EECA standards for Canterbury and the West Coast
- Ceiling R4
- Underfloor R2
There are exceptions for homes where the ceiling or underfloor insulation is impractical to install. Examples of these exemptions are homes with flat or skillion roofs where there is no access to the roof space and homes where there is not enough crawl space under the floor to install underfloor insulation.
Insulation statements
From 1 December 2020 all new rental contracts will need to include information about the current level of compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards including the level of insulation.
Draughtstopping
All private rentals must comply with the draughtstopping requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy after 1 July 2021, with all private rentals complying by 1 July 2024.
Landlords must make sure the property doesn’t have unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, skylights, floors and doors which cause noticeable draughts. All unused open fireplaces must be closed off or their chimneys must be blocked to prevent draughts.
More information
Find out more about:
ANZ Good Energy Home Loan
If you have a home loan with ANZ, you can apply for our new ANZ Good Energy Home Loan top-up for loan amounts of $3,000 to a maximum value of $80,000 to buy ANZ Good Energy Upgrades for your home.
This includes Insulation, Heating and Double Glazing.
For more information and the full list of eligible products, visit here.
Westpac Greater Choices Home Loan
With a Westpac Greater Choices home loan, you could get up to $50,000 interest-free for five years to help you create a warmer, drier, healthier and more energy-efficient home life.
This includes things like insulation, heat pumps and rainwater tanks.
Want to make sure your home meets Healthy Home Standards?
We can help make your property compliant with the Healthy Home Standards.
