Here's what you can do about your cold rental

Friday, 21 June 2019

There are things you can do to warm up your rental property.

Much of the country has been hit by a cold snap this week.

If you've realised that the rental property you're living in is more icy than inviting, you might wonder whether there's anything you can do to take the chill off.

Here's a quick guide to your rights to a warm home if you're a renter.

INSULATION

From July 1, all rental properties must have insulation installed that meets the required 'R' value for your part of the country.

* Healthy home deadline hard to meet, Manawatū landlords say

* Owners of rental properties have until 2024 to reach healthy home standards, Government announces**

The only properties that are exempt are generally those where it's impossible to install, such as when you do not have a ceiling space.

Under Healthy Homes standards, which will take effect in July 2021, that insulation will have to meet the 2008 Building Code, or be at least 120mm thick,

If you're concerned that the insulation in the property you are renting does not meet the 2019 rules, there are a few things you can do.

Jennifer Sykes, manager of information and education, housing and tenancy services, at the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, says the first step should be to talk to the landlord.

Since July 1, 2016, all new tenancy agreements have had to include a statement that describes the age, type, location and condition of the insulation that was in place when the tenancy started.

'If the landlord installed or upgraded the insulation since then, tenants should ask the landlord for information that would have been provided by the installer. If the landlord did it themselves, they should be able to explain the type of insulation they used and the thickness.'

If you determine your house does not have the required insulation, and your landlord will not fix it, you can take your case to the Tenancy Tribunal.

Owners not meeting the standards can be ordered to pay up to $4000, which goes to the tenant.

HEATING

Insulation is all very well, but what if you don't have any heat to begin with?

Currently, landlords must provide an 'approved form of heating' in their rental properties, but that's often interpreted as simply a power point into which tenants can plug a heater.

Under the Healthy Homes standards, landlords have until 2021 to provide a fixed heater that can directly hear the main living room to at least 18C and maintain this year-round.

'In most cases, the heater required will be a larger device such as a heat-pump or wood burner. In some cases, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater will be sufficient. The minimum size of the small fixed heater that will be acceptable is 1.5kW.'

LEAKS

If a property leaks when it rains, you can issue your landlord with a 14-day notice to remedy. This tells them your tenancy agreement has been breached, because the property is not in 'reasonable' condition, and gives 14 days to fix it.

You can't refuse to pay your rent while you wait for repairs but you can negotiate a temporary rent reduction.

If the landlord does not respond to the notice, you can ask the Tenancy Tribunal for help.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER CHANGES?

Sykes said tenant could use non-fixed heaters to warm their homes but they couldn't make any alterations to a property without the landlord's written consent.

But there are other things that you can do to help: Thermal curtains and draught stopping can help to contain heat. You can also buy film from hardware stores that creates a double-glazing effect on windows, or use bubble wrap.