Is Your Rental Home Ready for Compulsory Insulation Come July 2019?

From the 1st of July 2019, adequate insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes – a change the entire renting population in New Zealand has been waiting for. Landlords and property owners should be gearing up for the coming change and begin inspecting the current insulation status of their properties to create happier and healthier homes.

According to the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), ceiling and underfloor insulation must be safely installed to meet the new standards, while wall insulation is not compulsory. This regulation applies to any residential rental property covered by the Residential Tenancies Act.

Rental property owners will need to provide an insulation statement which covers what insulation the home has, where it is, and what type of insulation has been installed.

For existing insulation installed before the 1st of July in 2016, this must be in reasonable condition and achieve the minimum R-value when it was installed. Minimum R-values for ceiling and underfloor are: R 1.9 and R 0.9 for timber-framed homes and R 1.5 and R 0.9, respectively. Insulation must also be in reasonable condition – i.e. have no gaps or dampness and mould problems.

Minimum R-values for new insulation will depend on which part of the country the property is located, which MBIE has split into three climate zones. 

Failure to comply with the new regulations by the 2019 deadline may result in fines of up to $4,000. According to EECA Energywise, this amount should be more than enough to fund both ceiling and floor insulation installation costs for a 96 square metre property, so it’s a wise and healthy investment.

Team MZ, North Shore real estate experts, will provide information to clients to ensure they’re up to speed with new legislation requirements.

If you have any questions regarding the new insulation regulations, such as creating the insulation statement, give the residential property professionals over at Team MZ a call on 0508 TEAM MZ (832 669) or visit https://www.teammz.co.nz/.