In the 19th century, public health programs focused on housing. That was because of the terrifying rates of infectious diseases. These diseases were concentrated in tenement houses, which were poorly built, rack-leased, and did not allow air and light to circulate. The Healthy Housing Standards became law on July 1, 2019, in New Zealand. Healthy Housing Standards set out basic and minimal standards for heating, ventilation, insulation, moisture intake, drainage, and draught to stop at rental homes. All boarding houses must comply with the Healthy Housing standards by July 1, 2021.
Landlords are responsible for maintaining and improving the efficiency of their rental property. These Healthy Housing Standards will help ensure that landlords have cleaner, safer properties. These also ensure lower maintenance costs for their investment.
The Healthy Housing Standards would make it easy for tenants to keep their homes warm and dry.
Why Is Healthy Housing Standards Important?
Nearly 600,000 households are rented in New Zealand. Research-based in New Zealand indicates that our rental stock is of lower quality than occupied owners’ houses. Research indicates a link between cold, damp, and mouldy homes and negative health effects.
New Zealanders who rent will experience better health and reduced medical costs and a lower hospitalization rate by improving rental housing. Mold and mildew damage are less common in homes that are warmer and dryer. This will also help protect the landlord’s investment.
The Healthy Housing Standards
This article explains what you need to do to confirm that your rental property complies with the Healthy Housing Standards. These include the following:
1. Insulation standard
All rental homes must have ceiling and underfloor insulation. Isolation stops the heat from leaking out of the building. Also, the better a home is isolated, the more heat it can hold.
This Means That:
- It usually costs less to heat the property.
- The property will be drier
- The property would be less prone to sculpting.
2. Heating Standard
Landlords must have one or more set heaters that directly heat up the main living room. The heater(s) must be of an acceptable form. Also, this must meet the minimum heating capacity required for your main living room.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18 Celsius. By installing heat that can reach this temperature on the coldest days of the year, the residents would stay warm all year round.
What Is The Heating Standard?
There must be one or more fixed heaters that will directly heat the main living room.
The main living space is the largest room used for general, daily living – for example, a lounge, a family room or a dining room.
The heater(s) must be fixed (not portable) and must have a heating capacity of at least 1,5 kW. It must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. In most cases, the appropriate type(s) of a heater(s) would be a larger fixed heater such as a heat pump, a wood burner, a pellet burner, or a flue gas heater. In certain situations, e.g. small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be enough.
3. Ventilation Standard
Rental houses must have open windows in the living area, the kitchen, and the bedroom. Kitchens and bathrooms must have fans of the extractor.
Insufficient ventilation causes mould and dampness. These are harmful to tenants’ health and the property of landlords. The standard ventilation is intended for mould and dampness in rental housing.
What Is The Ventilation Housing Standards?
Every living room in a rental home must have at least one window, door, or skylight which opens to the outside.
In each house, the size of the windows, doors, and skylights must be at least 5% of the room’s floor area. Each window door, window, or skylight must be open and must stay fixed in an open position. All kitchens and bathrooms must have an extractor fan on the outside.
Kitchens – Fans in any space with a cooktop must have a minimum diameter of 150 mm (including ducting). That means an exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second in any room with a cooktop.
Bathrooms – In any room with a shower or bath, fans must have a minimum diameter (including ducting) of 120 mm. This means an exhaust capacity of at least 25 litres per second in every room with a shower.
Landlords should ask installers for details of the fan diameters, ducting and flow rates in writing. This will help to show that they comply with the Healthy Housing Standards for ventilation.
4. Moisture ingress and Drainage Standard
Rental properties must provide efficient drainage to remove stormwater and groundwater. Also, rental properties with enclosed sub-floor space must provide a moisture barrier.
Moisture can be a great source of dampness in your house. This dampness can lead to poor health consequences for tenants. Also, this can be harmful to the house’s quality.
What Are The Moisture Ingress And Drainage Housing Standards?
Rental properties must provide efficient drainage to remove water. The drainage system shall contain gutters, downpipes, and drains to remove water from the roof.
If the land has an enclosed subfloor, he must construct a moisture barrier must if it is reasonably possible.
Exemptions To The Moisture Ingress and Drainage Standard:
There is one specific exception to the standard for moisture ingress and drainage. This exemption refers to properties where the installation of a moisture barrier is not reasonably practicable. Installation is not fairly practical if the professional installer is unable to reach the area without:
- Doing substantial building work
- Causing substantial harm to the property
5. Draught Stopping Sandard
Landlords must ensure that the property does not have unreasonable gaps or holes in the walls, roofs, windows, skylights, floors, and doors that create visible draughts. All unused open fireplaces must be closed, or their chimneys must be covered to avoid draughts.
Draughts increase the risk of lower temperatures in homes. This makes it more costly for residents to heat their houses. So, fixing draughts is a simple way to reduce heating costs and keep homes warm and dry.
What Is The Draught-Stopping Standard?
Landlords already have to provide residential properties in a reasonable state of repair.
Under the Healthy Housing Standards, tenants must ensure that the premises do not have unreasonable gaps or holes in the walls, roofs, windows, skylights, floors, and doors that create visible draughts. Landlords cannot use the house’s age and condition as a reason not to stop gaps or holes.
If the door has an unreasonable gap causing a noticeable draught, the draught must be stopped. If there is no fixed limit door gap, the technical guidance document will help landlords and tenants identify where the gap is unreasonable.
The Bottom Line
Healthy Housing Standards is a guide for landowners, advocates, city authorities, code agency employees, public health officials, and those who understand the effect of housing on community health. We hope that the standard will encourage action and collaboration.
