Healthy Homes: What tenants need to know

As a tenant, you deserve a warm, safe, and healthy home. New Zealand’s Healthy Homes standards set out essential requirements to make rental properties more comfortable, including heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture control, and draught prevention. Here’s what that means for you: 

A warmer, drier home.

The standards are all about creating a living environment that’s comfortable in every season. That means making sure your home has the right heating in the living areas, proper insulation and ventilation systems to keep moisture under control. It’s all about making life warmer, drier and healthier.

No more damp and draughts.

No one wants to live in a damp, draughty home. The New Zealand Healthy Homes standards require landlords to install draught-stopping measures, sealing up any gaps and cracks that let cold air in. On top of that, kitchens and bathrooms must have extractor fans to reduce moisture and prevent mould from building up – both dampness and mould can be dangerous to your health.

What to expect from your landlord.

Landlords have set deadlines to meet the New Zealand Healthy Homes standards. If you’re signing a new lease or renewing your current one, your landlord should provide a compliance statement, showing how the property measures up. It’s a simple way to check whether your home is up to scratch. By July 2025, all rental properties must comply.

If things aren’t up to standard.

Think your rental isn’t meeting the Healthy Homes requirements? Talk to your landlord or property manager, as they’re responsible for fixing any issues. If improvements are needed, they’re required to take action, whether it’s adding insulation or updating the heating system.

Got questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Barfoot & Thompson’s property management team. We’re here to help keep your home the safe, healthy place it’s meant to be.