The Government has announced upcoming changes to the healthy homes standards in response to feedback from the rental sector.
They include:
Changes to the heating standard
Updating this standard to better reflect how certain properties retain heat. These changes will apply to:
- certain apartments
- certain newly built homes
- properties renovated throughout to the 2008 building code requirements for insulation and glazing.
A grace period for affected properties will also be introduced.
Updating the heating standard to give all properties additional flexibility with the introduction of:
- a new alternative pathway to compliance
- a new ‘top up’ heating allowance and
- a new tolerance for existing insufficient heating capacity.
Geothermal heating will also now be compliant.
The heating assessment tool(external link) on the Tenancy Services website will be updated to reflect these changes once they become law.
Changes to the ventilation standard
Updating this standard to allow continuous mechanical ventilation systems that continuously extract from kitchens and bathrooms, for homes that received building consent on or after 1 November 2019.
Changes to the moisture ingress and drainage standard
Updating this standard to clarify that landlords are not required to install alternative moisture barriers where it is not reasonably practicable to install a polythene barrier.