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NZ Building Code · Healthy HomesHealthy Homes Standards: the 5 rental minimums
A plain-English rundown of the five mandatory Healthy Homes Standards that every NZ residential rental has had to meet since 1 July 2025.
The Healthy Homes Standards 2019 are the mandatory minimum standards for all residential rental properties under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. If you work on rentals — or own one — this is the baseline every tenancy has to meet, and getting it wrong carries a penalty of up to $7,200 per breach.
Who it applies to and by when
The standards cover all residential rentals under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. The key date has already passed: full compliance has been required for all tenancies since 1 July 2025.
- Applies to all residential rentals.
- The 1 July 2025 deadline has passed — all current and new tenancies must already comply.
- Non-compliance carries a penalty of up to $7,200 per breach.
The 5 standards
There are five separate standards, each covering one part of a warm, dry, healthy home:
- Heating — a fixed heater of at least 1.5 kW, capable of heating the main living room to 18°C.
- Insulation — ceiling insulation of R2.9 or R3.3 depending on zone, and underfloor R1.3.
- Ventilation — an operable window of at least 5% of floor area, plus extract fans in the bathroom (25 L/s) and kitchen (50 L/s).
- Moisture & drainage — gutters and downpipes, plus a ground vapour barrier in the subfloor.
- Draught stopping — block obvious gaps in walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors.
The paperwork a tenancy needs
Meeting the physical standards is only half the job — the tenancy also needs the right documentation on file:
- A Healthy Homes compliance statement included in the tenancy agreement.
- A compliance assessment record, signed by the landlord or a qualified assessor.
- That record provided to the tenant within 28 days of the tenancy starting or renewing.
Plain-English guide, not advice. This page helps you understand and navigate the rules — it is general information, not design, engineering or consent advice, and it does not reproduce the copyrighted tables of NZS 3604 or any Standard. Always check the current Standard or Acceptable Solution and your BCA, and use a suitably qualified LBP, engineer or QS where it matters.
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Common questions
When did the Healthy Homes Standards become fully mandatory?
Full compliance has been required for all tenancies since 1 July 2025. That deadline has passed, so all current and new tenancies must already comply.
What is the penalty for breaching a Healthy Homes Standard?
Non-compliance carries a penalty of up to $7,200 per breach. The standards apply to all residential rentals under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986.
What are the five Healthy Homes Standards?
Heating (a fixed heater of at least 1.5 kW able to heat the main living room to 18 degrees C), insulation (ceiling R2.9 or R3.3 by zone, underfloor R1.3), ventilation (an operable window of at least 5% of floor area plus bathroom and kitchen extract fans), moisture and drainage (gutters, downpipes and a subfloor ground vapour barrier), and draught stopping.
What documentation does a compliant tenancy need?
A Healthy Homes compliance statement in the tenancy agreement, and a compliance assessment record signed by the landlord or a qualified assessor. The record must be provided to the tenant within 28 days of the tenancy starting or renewing.
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