Time is up for landlords who have failed to bring their properties up to standard, with all New Zealand rental homes now legally required to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards from today.
The standards, passed into law in July 2019, introduced minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress, drainage and draught stopping.
They came into force gradually, but from July 1, 2025, all new and existing tenancies must abide by the rules.
Time is up for landlords who have failed to bring their properties up to standard. (Source: Breakfast)
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) head of tenancy Kat Watson said the standards were about keeping New Zealand rentals “warmer, drier, and healthier”.
“There is no excuse not to comply and information about what landlords need to do to comply has been provided since 2019.”
So, what are the standards, what happens if landlords don’t comply, and what can tenants do if their homes fall short?
The standards
There must be at least one fixed heater that can directly heat the main living room and be at least 1.5kW in heating capacity. Heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be needed in most homes, but in some smaller homes a smaller fixed electric heater may be enough.
Ceilings and underfloors must be insulated to a level set according to the climate zone the home is located in. In Zones 1 and 2, which cover most of the North Island, insulation should be 160mm thick in the ceiling and 100mm under the floor. Colder areas, including the South Island and central North Island, were classified as Zone 3 and required ceiling insulation of an 180mm thickness.
Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bedrooms must have at least one window, door, or skylight that opens to the outside and can stay open. Kitchens and bathrooms must have extractor fans.
Rental homes require efficient drainage, including gutters, downpipes and drains to remove stormwater, surface water and groundwater.
Homes should not have unreasonable gaps or holes that cause noticeable draughts.
Enforcement and consequences
Watson said there were a range of compliance tools available to the Tenancy Compliance and Investigations team (TCIT) to ensure landlords met their obligations.
In 2024, close to half of 1100 proactive assessments identified Healthy Homes Standard breaches. In the first half of 2025, more than 900 proactive assessments had been completed, with breaches in almost 270 cases.
Landlords who do not meet their obligations under the standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act and may face consequences.
Larger landlords with six or more rental properties could face penalties of up to $50,000 per breach. Smaller landlords face a lower maximum of $7200 per breach.
That $7200 limit applied even if the landlord had broken more than one rule—for example, failing both the Healthy Homes Standards and general maintenance duties would still result in a single maximum penalty of $7200.
Watson said landlords unsure about whether their rental was compliant or what work was needed to bring the property up to standard should look to the information on the Tenancy Services website, speak with industry professionals and trusted service providers.
TCIT has a range of enforcement tools at its disposal, including formal warnings, improvement notices and the ability to take landlords to the Tenancy Tribunal.
What can tenants do if their home isn’t up to scratch?
Tenants should be moving into a warm, dry, well-ventilated home at the start of their tenancy, Watson said.
“If a tenant thinks their home is non-compliant, Tenancy Services advises them to have a talk to their landlord and have a look at the healthy homes compliance statement in the tenancy agreement and refer to the information on our website.”
Written notice to the landlord to fix the issue within 14 days can be given if they were not satisfied, with escalation to the Tenancy Tribunal if failure to fix the issue is ongoing.
“It is their legal right in New Zealand to have a warm, dry home, we encourage them to check our website for more information.”
