Calls for independent checks on healthy homes standards

Housing advocates want an independent certification system so that landlords can't just mark their own homework and say that their properties meet healthy homes standards.

Since July last year, it's been compulsory for all rental properties to be up to scratch with the standards, which set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage.

But with no qualification needed to tick off each of the standards, anyone is able to call themselves a healthy homes assessor.

It's raised questions as to whether the standards are doing what they're meant to - ensure rental properties are safe, warm and dry.

In Wellington's Aro Valley there's a street known by locals as 'The Devon Street Ditch'.

It's home to a row of run-down villas tucked away in a gorge below the road.

Many of the houses there are owned by the same landlord.

Amy* (not her real name) lives in one of these houses along with five other flat-mates in their early twenties.

When signing her lease at the start of this year, her landlord had ticked off each of the Healthy Homes Standards.

But after she moved in, Amy said it was clearly not a healthy home.

"There's gaps in the walls between windows, windows don't lock that you can enter through, there's insulation out in the ceilings and it's freezing.

"It's so cold and it's damp and mould is appearing everywhere."

Between them the six flatmates pay $1200 in rent every week, that's $200 dollars each.

Amy said the price didn't reflect the state the flat was in, as one of her flatmates had found out the hard way.

In one of the bedrooms, the corrugated plastic roof wasn't properly connected to the wall.

"When we had those storms come through, she'd wake up with rain on her laptop."

The flat's bathroom also ventilated into a room next door, rather than outside.

Amy said they've asked their landlord to fix some of the problems but have been told it's up to them to sort it out.

They've considered laying a complaint with the Tenancy Tribunal but decided it's not worth the effort.

"We've read up on this landlord and it's not really worth all the hassle we don't think, especially because we're only here until November."

"Obviously we'd love to go to the Tribunal and get it fixed, but with everything that's happened with him and what other people have had to put up with, we don't exactly see us getting a successful outcome."

'Unacceptable'

Volunteer with Wellington Central's Citizens Advice Bureau Audrey Fell-Smith said despite the new Healthy Homes Standards, they were getting as many complaints as last year from unhappy tenants.

"Unacceptable drafts coming through from wherever, heating issues, plumbing issues, people wanting to get out of a tenancy because they can't get their landlord to actually fix the issues that are making them sick."

Fell-Smith said some companies assessing compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards weren't reliable.

"I did one on my last place, I got four different assessors to come in and they all came out with different ideas of what the capacity should be for the heat pump.

"So that tells you that we don't actually have any real tool."

Loopholes remain that need to be closed

Dr Lucy Telfer-Barnard from the University of Otago's public health department said while the standards were a step in the right direction, there remained loopholes that needed to be closed.

"Their home is still going to be cold, because it's exempt from having the insulation in the ceiling and in the floor.

"It needs to be much more clearly sign-posted for tenants, so that when they're moving in, they know that the property although it is obeying the rules, it's not going to be a warm home or it's going to be much harder to heat."

She said there needed to be an independent system to make sure those carrying out inspection reports were actually qualified.

"These days a lot of landlords do pay assessors to come through and lots of property managers will require it.

"There is certainly a need for some sort of certification system so that you know that if you are paying someone to go through, they are properly trained and know what they are doing."

Failure to meet the Healthy Homes Standard could see landlords who own six or more rental properties hit with a $50,000 fine.

Smaller-scale landlords could face fines of up to $7200.

The Ministry of Housing said the government decided not to introduce a rental warrant of fitness in favour of developing the Healthy Home Standards.

Moving to a WOF scheme would have significant costs and impacts. 

The Healthy Homes Standards focus on minimum standards that will have the greatest impact on the warmth and dryness of a home without imposing an unreasonable burden and cost on landlords.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said if tenants thought the property they were renting was not up to standard, they should speak to their landlord.

"If they are still not satisfied, they should put their concerns in writing to the landlord giving them a reasonable time to fix any issues.

"If the landlord still doesn't fix the issue, they can make a complaint on the Tenancy Services website or apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for a work order."

MBIE said most landlords want to do the right thing and were providing more than the minimum standards.

Property management company responds

Checkpoint reached out to the property management company and owner of the property mentioned in this story.

The property management company said they were holding Healthy Homes documentation provided by the owner and it confirmed the property was compliant.

All Healthy Homes documents were given to the tenants as part of their tenancy agreement.

*Name changed to protect identity

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