From here on in as of 01 July 2021, any new or renewed tenancy will trigger the 90-day countdown upon commencement date and ALL landlords must comply with ALL standards. Are you ready?
All private landlords are required to comply by 1 July 2024, unless you have a new or renewed tenancy as mentioned above.
More information on how the type of change to a Tenancy Agreement will have an impact on the Healthy Homes compliance date, and the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 law changes that apply are available here.
Rental properties must meet each of the five healthy home standards if they do not already, 90 days from the commencement of any new or renewed tenancy.
So What are the Healthy Homes standards?
Heating
- Landlords must provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room. The heater(s) must be acceptable types and must meet the minimum heating capacity required for your main living room.
Insulation
- Landlords must provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room. The heater(s) must be acceptable types and must meet the minimum heating capacity required for your main living room. Existing ceiling insulation that was installed before 1 July 2016 must be at least 120mm thick.ll existing insulation must still be in reasonable condition to meet the requirements. This means there should be no mould, dampness, damage or gaps.
Ventilation
- Under the Healthy Homes standards for rental properties, rooms with an indoor cooktop, bath, or shower will need extractor fans that vent to the outside. This includes the correct size extractor fans where applicable and openable windows in all habitable rooms. Use this online ventilation tool to see if you need to install new fans in your kitchen or bathroom.
Moisture ingress & drainage
- Landlords must ensure efficient drainage, guttering, downpipes, and drains. If a rental property has an enclosed subfloor, a ground moisture barrier must be installed where possible.
Draught stopping
- Landlords must make sure the property doesn’t have unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, skylights, floors, and doors which cause noticeable draughts. All unused open fireplaces must be closed off or their chimneys must be blocked to prevent draughts.
For further information on each of the specific standards – click the links below:
Got more questions?
If Healthy Homes compliance is still giving you a headache, and you are unsure about what this means for you, please get in touch with us today and one of our experienced team will be on hand to guide you through the process.
