What will the healthy homes standards mean for landlords and property managers?
A landlord is required to ensure their rental properties meet the standards by the deadline that applies to them. Most landlords are required to meet the standards within 90 days from the start of any new, or renewed tenancy from 1 July 2021. This means that any new or renewed tenancy after 1 July 2021 will have to meet the standards within 90 days. All tenancies must meet the standard by 1 July 2024. The cost to landlords will vary and will depend on a property’s characteristics (for example, size, age, condition), and the amount of work required to bring each property up to the minimum requirements. Landlords may need to install appropriately sized heating devices or extractor fans in certain rooms. Regardless of whether any work is done, a landlord will have to keep records of how they are complying with the healthy homes standards. These records must be able to be provided to the Tenancy Tribunal or the Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team. Landlords will also need to include compliance information in their tenancy agreement. From 1 December 2020 landlords will need to include information on each of the standards in any new or renewed tenancy agreement even if they are not yet required to comply with the standards. See the tenancy agreement section below for details on what information is required. Once implemented, the healthy homes standards will mean that landlords may need to do less maintenance to their houses as they will be less prone to moisture damage and the damage caused by mould growth. The healthy homes standards will also provide a clear set of minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, draught stopping and moisture ingress and drainage that all landlords will need to provide for their tenants.
