Warm dry rentals are good

The NZ Property Investors Federation is supportive of quality standards in rental properties, fully supporting the Minimum Standards legislation of 2016. However, tenants ultimately pay for these improvements so they need to be cost effective.

Two parts of the Healthy Homes Standards don’t meet this requirement.

While the NZPIF supported compulsory insulation in rentals, topping up existing insulation provides very little improvement for tenants but costs almost the same as installing completely new insulation.

The NZPIF supports fixed heating in rentals. Heat pumps are a great source of heating for some tenants and the NZPIF has arrangements with suppliers to help members provide these tenants with heat pumps.

However, they are expensive to buy, install, maintain and replace so will increase rental prices by around $15pw. This means tenants who do not want and will not use a heat pump will still be paying for it through higher rent.

While the NZPIF was supportive of compulsory heating in rentals, allowing cheaper but less energy efficient heaters would not require rental price increases and would give tenants greater choice in how they live in their home.

Andrew King

Executive Officer

NZ Property Investors' Federation

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