All rentals must now comply with the Healthy homes standards
It has been 6 years since the healthy homes standards became law, introducing minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.
Since 2019 the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have worked together on the goal of supporting healthier rental housing across New Zealand. This work has led to significant improvement and progress towards ensuring more than 600,000 households renting in New Zealand have warmer, drier places to call home.
MBIE Head of Tenancy, Kat Watson, says landlords are responsible for ensuring their properties meet the healthy homes standards and continue to do so over time.
“All new and existing tenancies are required to meet the healthy homes standards from 1 July, including new tenancies immediately. There is no excuse not to comply and information about what landlords need to do to comply has been provided since 2019.
“Most landlords want to do the right thing. If landlords are unsure whether their rental home is compliant, or what maintenance and repairs work may be needed to bring their property up to standard, then we encourage them to check out the information and tools available on the Tenancy Services website and speak with industry professionals and trusted service providers for advice.”
MBIE’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team (TCIT) has a range of compliance tools to ensure landlords are meeting their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act and healthy homes standards.
“TCIT conducted 1,100 proactive assessments in 2024 and identified at least one breach of the healthy homes standards or the Healthy Homes Statement in more than 500 cases. More than 900 proactive assessments have been completed in the first half of 2025, with at least one breach of the healthy homes standards or Healthy Homes Statement found in almost 270 cases. TCIT proactively monitors more high risk areas and the rate of breaches found in TCIT cases may not be reflective of the overall state of the market,” Kat Watson said.
“Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act and may face consequences, like financial penalties of up to $50,000 for larger scale landlords (who own 6 or more rental properties) and $7,200 for smaller-scale landlords.”
TCIT can issue formal warnings, enforceable undertakings, improvement notices and infringement notices. In the most serious cases, the team may decide to take proceedings against a landlord in the Tenancy Tribunal.
Tenants also have a role to play in ensuring they move into a warm, dry, well-ventilated home at the start of their tenancy.
“When people move into a new rental home, we encourage them to make use of that first property inspection by taking photos, asking questions and keeping an eye out for maintenance issues,” Kat Watson said.
“If tenants think their home is non-compliant, they should talk to their landlord and have a look at the healthy homes compliance statement that is required to be included with their tenancy agreement. They can also look at the information on the Tenancy Services website, which includes other options for resolving disputes such as self-resolution, and mediation.”
More detail on the healthy homes standards is on the Tenancy Services website, including:
- Healthy homes compliance for landlords and tenants
- How to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal and;
- How to make a complaint to the Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team.
