Healthy homes – insulation

Codewords 99: February 2021

This article is published in conjunction with Tenancy Services.

COLD, DAMP AND MOULDY houses are bad for our health – especially for people with asthma and heart conditions. The healthy homes standards, which were made law in 2019, aim to ensure that all people in rental properties live in a warm, dry home.

Changes kick in on 1 July 2021

The standards establish minimum requirements for heating, moisture ingress and drainage, insulation, ventilation and draught stopping.

Compliance deadlines for the standards start from 1 July 2021, less than 6 months away. The responsibility for complying with the healthy homes standards sits with landlords. Landlords should be acting now to ensure they comply. Staying informed about the standards enables you to assist landlords in making the right decisions on the work they need done to get their properties to comply.

Know about the insulation standard

The insulation standard(external link) is one of the areas covered by the healthy homes standards, and it is important to be aware of it. New Zealand already has minimum insulation requirements(external link), and the healthy homes standards build on these, so some existing insulation may need to be topped up or replaced.

All existing insulation must be in reasonable condition to meet the requirements. This means there should be no mould, dampness, damage or gaps, and all insulation must be installed in accordance with NZS 4246:2016 Energy efficiency – Installing bulk thermal insulation in residential buildings.(external link)

Where to direct landlords

If landlords ask you questions about the standards, you can point them to the Tenancy Services website, which has plenty of information. There is an insulation tool(external link) available that can help landlords find out if they need to upgrade or replace the insulation to meet the healthy homes standard.

There is also an online guidance document Healthy homes standards – Insulation(external link) to help assess whether a property is compliant. It may be useful for you to look at the guidance document as it has details about the technical requirements that need to be met to ensure compliance.

Be aware of other requirements

It can also pay to be aware of the healthy homes standards outside your area of work or expertise. As these standards are often implemented in the same area of the home, it is possible to undo the work completed by other tradespeople to comply with the rest of the standards if you do not know what to look for.

For example, electrical workers may pull out insulation to install wiring in the roof space and not put it back correctly, which can seriously impact the home and its compliance with the insulation standard. While electrical workers are simply doing their job, they may be unaware of the need to maintain compliance with all five of the healthy homes standards.

By being aware of the other standards and keeping this top of mind while undertaking work, you can help the landlord maintain compliance with the standards.

Note This article is published in conjunction with Tenancy Services whose website provides quick, informative explanations of each standard – see www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes.(external link)

Quiz

1. When does the compliance deadline for healthy homes start?
   1. 1 June 2021.
   2. 1 July 2021.
   3. 1 August 2021.
2. Where can landlords find information about whether they need to upgrade or replace the current insulation?
   1. Tenancy Services website.
   2. LBP website.
3. Can an electrical worker pull out current insulation when installing wiring in the roof space?
   1. No, they shouldn’t touch the existing insulation.
   2. Yes, but they need to put it back correctly.
4. What document should you use to keep up with the technical requirements needed to be compliant with the healthy homes insulation standard?
   1. Build or Codewords article.
   2. Online guidance document.