Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the healthy homes standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 – and may face consequences, like financial penalties of up to $7200.

Landlords who are not sure where to start, read our healthy homes toolkit for landlords.

Healthy homes toolkit for landlords

What is the moisture ingress and drainage standard?

Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall. An outfall is the place where the water from drains empties out to.

Drainage systems must include gutters, downpipes and drains for the removal of water from the roof.

If the rental property has an enclosed subfloor, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is possible to do so.

Our guidance document has more specific information on the moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Healthy homes standard moisture ingress and drainage [PDF, 1.3 MB]

Ground moisture barrier

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet that can be bought from most building retailers. It can be installed by a house owner or a building professional.

Ground moisture barriers must either:

• be a polythene sheet and installed in accordance with section 8 of New Zealand Standard NZS4246:2016, or
• have a vapour flow resistance of at least 50MNs/g and be installed by a professional installer.

NZS-42462016 — Standards New Zealand(external link)

Exemptions to the moisture ingress and drainage standard

An exemption applies if it is not possible for a professional installer to access the area without:

• carrying out substantial building work
• causing substantial damage to the property
• creating greater risks to a person’s health and safety than is normally acceptable, or it is otherwise not reasonably practicable for a professional installer to carry out the work.

Landlords are not required to install alternative moisture barriers where installation of a polythene barrier is not possible in the subfloor area.

General exemptions to the healthy homes standards

Exemption example

"There is limited space under the house or part of the house and I have received confirmation from a professional installer that it is not reasonably practicable to install a ground moisture barrier."

Managing asbestos risks

Landlords must manage any asbestos-related risks when work is being done at their property.

This is to protect the health and safety of tenants, neighbours, contractors and anyone else who may be affected.

Landlords managing asbestos at the property