Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist (New Zealand)

A Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist is a thorough assessment document that records whether a New Zealand rental property meets all five of the Healthy Homes Standards prescribed under the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act 2017 (HHGA) and the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019. The checklist is completed by the landlord or their property manager and provides a systematic, standard-by-standard evaluation of the property's compliance with the heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping requirements that apply to all private rental properties in New Zealand.

The Healthy Homes Guarantee Act 2017 was enacted to address a significant public health and housing crisis in New Zealand, where many rental properties were cold, damp, and draughty — conditions linked to serious respiratory illness, rheumatic fever, and other health problems, particularly among children. The Act gave the government the power to prescribe minimum standards for rental housing, and the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019 set out the specific technical requirements for each of the five standards. The regulations are administered by Tenancy Services, a division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

The five Healthy Homes Standards are: first, the Heating Standard (reg 8), which requires a fixed heating device in the main living room capable of heating the room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, with a minimum capacity of 1.5 kW for all climate zones; second, the Insulation Standard (reg 9), which requires ceiling insulation meeting minimum R-values by climate zone (R2.9 in zones 1 and 2, R3.3 in zone 3) and underfloor insulation of at least R1.3 where an enclosed sub-floor space exists; third, the Ventilation Standard (reg 10), which requires openable windows, doors, or skylights in all habitable rooms and extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms that vent directly to outside air; fourth, the Moisture Ingress and Drainage Standard (reg 11), which requires efficient drainage for stormwater, surface water, and groundwater, and a ground moisture barrier in enclosed sub-floor spaces; and fifth, the Draught Stopping Standard (reg 12), which requires that all unreasonable gaps and holes wider than 3 mm in the building envelope are sealed, and unused fireplaces and chimneys are permanently blocked.

The compliance checklist produced by this template serves multiple important purposes for New Zealand landlords. First, it provides documentary evidence of the landlord's compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards — or, where compliance has not yet been achieved, a record of the planned remedial actions and target completion dates. Second, the checklist provides the information needed to complete the Healthy Homes compliance statement that must be included in every residential tenancy agreement under section 13A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Third, the checklist helps landlords identify any areas where the property does not yet comply, enabling them to plan and budget for the necessary upgrades before the next tenancy begins. Fourth, the checklist provides a historical record that can be used in any Tenancy Tribunal proceedings to demonstrate that the landlord was acting in good faith and taking steps to achieve compliance.

Since 1 July 2025, all private rental properties in New Zealand must comply with all five Healthy Homes Standards. Non-compliance can result in the Tenancy Tribunal awarding exemplary damages of up to NZD $7,200 per standard breached. A landlord who fails to meet all five standards could therefore face total exemplary damages of up to $36,000. In addition to financial penalties, the Tribunal can order the landlord to carry out remedial work and, in serious cases, can require the property to be vacated until it meets the required standards. Tenancy Services inspectors have authority to investigate complaints and refer cases to the Tribunal. For these reasons, having a thorough and up-to-date Healthy Homes compliance checklist is an essential risk management tool for all New Zealand landlords.

A Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist should be completed in a number of specific circumstances by New Zealand landlords. Most importantly, it must be completed before entering into any new residential tenancy agreement, as the information recorded in the checklist is required to complete the Healthy Homes compliance statement that must be included in every tenancy agreement under section 13A of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. Without a current compliance checklist, a landlord cannot accurately complete this mandatory statement.

You should complete a new Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist whenever a tenancy agreement is renewed or extended, as the compliance statement in the renewed agreement must reflect the current state of the property. If upgrades have been carried out since the previous checklist was completed, a new checklist should be prepared to record the improved compliance status. The checklist should also be updated after any significant maintenance or repair work that affects the heating, insulation, ventilation, drainage, or draught stopping features of the property.

Landlords who are purchasing a rental property should complete a Healthy Homes compliance checklist as part of the due diligence process before settlement. This will identify any compliance gaps that need to be addressed before the next tenancy begins and help the landlord plan and budget for any necessary upgrades. Property managers acting on behalf of landlords should incorporate the Healthy Homes compliance checklist into their standard property assessment and management processes.

The checklist is also important when a landlord receives a Tenancy Tribunal complaint from a tenant about the condition of the property. A completed compliance checklist provides contemporaneous documentary evidence of the state of the property at the time the tenancy commenced and can help the landlord defend against claims that the property did not meet the Healthy Homes Standards. Without such documentation, it can be very difficult to demonstrate compliance to the Tribunal.

If Tenancy Services contacts a landlord to investigate a complaint or conduct a compliance audit, having a completed and up-to-date Healthy Homes compliance checklist demonstrates that the landlord is aware of their obligations and is actively managing the property's compliance. This can help to resolve the matter without formal Tribunal proceedings. Government grants, such as the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, may be available to help eligible landlords fund insulation and heating upgrades, and a compliance checklist is useful documentation when applying for such assistance.

Finally, the Healthy Homes compliance checklist is important for any landlord who is selling a rental property. Prospective buyers will typically want to know whether the property complies with the Healthy Homes Standards, and a current compliance checklist provides assurance that the property meets the required standards. Non-compliance may need to be disclosed to the buyer under the Property Law Act 2007 and the Real Estate Agents Act 2008.

A thorough New Zealand Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist must address each of the five Healthy Homes Standards in detail, record the relevant compliance information for the specific property, and identify any areas of non-compliance with planned remedial actions and target dates.

The property and landlord details section identifies the rental property by its full address, type of dwelling, and approximate year of construction, and records the name and contact details of the landlord and any property manager acting on their behalf. This information is required for the compliance statement that must be included in every tenancy agreement and for any Tenancy Tribunal or Tenancy Services correspondence about the property.

The Heating Standard section (reg 8) records the type, make and model, location, and kilowatt output of the fixed heating device installed in the main living room. The checklist must confirm that the device is capable of heating the room to at least 18 degrees Celsius and meets the minimum capacity requirement. The assessor must verify that the device is fixed (not portable), is in working order, and is of a qualifying type — heat pumps, fixed electric panel heaters, flued gas heaters, and wood burners or pellet fires are acceptable; open fires, portable heaters, and unflued gas heaters are not.

The Insulation Standard section (reg 9) records the type, material, and R-value of the ceiling insulation and, where an enclosed sub-floor space exists, the underfloor insulation. The minimum required R-values vary by climate zone: R2.9 is required for zones 1 and 2 (most of the North Island), while R3.3 is required for zone 3 (most of the South Island and higher-altitude areas). Underfloor insulation must meet at least R1.3 in all zones. The insulation must be in reasonable condition, without significant gaps, compression, or damage.

The Ventilation Standard section (reg 10) records whether all habitable rooms (including bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens) have openable windows, doors, or skylights that vent to outside air, and whether kitchens and bathrooms have extractor fans that vent directly to outside (not into a wall cavity or ceiling space). The checklist should specify the size and type of the extractor fans and confirm that they are in working order.

The Moisture Ingress and Drainage Standard section (reg 11) assesses whether the property has efficient drainage for stormwater, surface water, and groundwater, whether there is a ground moisture barrier (polythene sheet, minimum 0.25 mm thick) in any enclosed sub-floor space, and whether the property is free from unreasonable moisture ingress through the roof, walls, windows, or floor. The assessor should check gutters, downpipes, drainage channels, and sub-floor ventilation as part of this assessment.

The Draught Stopping Standard section (reg 12) assesses whether all unreasonable gaps and holes wider than 3 mm in walls, ceilings, floors, and around windows and doors have been sealed, and whether any unused fireplaces or chimneys have been permanently blocked. The assessor should check common draught sources including gaps around window and door frames, penetrations through the building envelope for pipes and cables, the junction between walls and floors, and letterboxes and other openings.

The overall compliance summary records whether the property meets all five standards, the target date for full compliance if the property is not yet fully compliant, and the name and role of the person who completed the assessment. The landlord must sign the declaration confirming the accuracy of the information provided. The forms-legal.com Healthy Homes Compliance Checklist (New Zealand) provides a ready-to-use template that meets New Zealand legal requirements.