This healthy homes compliance checklist gives NZ landlords a practical, do-this self-audit against all five healthy homes standards. Since 1 July 2025, every private rental in New Zealand must comply, so in 2026 this is no longer a deadline you are working towards. It is a requirement your property either meets right now or does not. Use the checklist below to confirm your rental is compliant, fix any gaps and document the evidence.
The five healthy homes standards cover heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping. This post is the actionable checklist. For the full background, exemptions detail and how each standard came about, read our complete explainer, the Healthy Homes Standards NZ guide.
Quick-reference healthy homes compliance checklist
Here are the five standards at a glance, with the headline number for each. Work through them in order, then complete the compliance statement and record-keeping section at the end.
- Heating: a fixed heater that directly heats the main living room, sized to the capacity calculated for that room (each fixed heater at least 1.5 kW).
- Insulation: ceiling R 2.9 (zones 1 and 2) or R 3.3 (zone 3), and underfloor R 1.3 in every zone.
- Ventilation: openable windows totalling at least 5% of each room’s floor area, plus extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom.
- Moisture and drainage: working gutters, downpipes and drains, plus a ground moisture barrier for enclosed subfloors where practicable.
- Draught stopping: block unreasonable gaps and holes, and close off open fireplaces and unused chimneys.
Standard 1: Heating compliance checklist
The heating standard is the one most landlords get wrong, so check it carefully.
- Confirm you have one or more fixed heaters that directly heat the main living room.
- Calculate the required heating capacity for that room using the online heating assessment tool, the formula in the regulations, or a suitably qualified professional. This is a calculated figure, often several kW.
- Check each fixed heater is at least 1.5 kW. Note that 1.5 kW is the minimum size of a single heater, not the total capacity the room needs.
- Use an acceptable heater type: heat pump, woodburner, pellet burner or flued gas heater.
- Make sure heat pumps and fixed electric heaters have a thermostat.
- Remember the electric heater limit. An electric heater generally cannot be the main heater where the required capacity is more than 2.4 kW, except when topping up heating installed before 1 July 2019.
What does not count: portable plug-in heaters, open fires and unflued combustion (gas) heaters. These never satisfy the standard.
Standard 2: Insulation compliance checklist
The underfloor R-value is the same in every climate zone. Only the ceiling figure changes. Auckland sits in zone 1.
- Ceiling insulation: at least R 2.9 in zones 1 and 2, or R 3.3 in zone 3.
- Underfloor insulation: at least R 1.3 in all three zones.
- Existing ceiling insulation installed before 1 July 2016 generally meets the standard if it is at least 120mm thick and in reasonable condition.
- Check all insulation is in reasonable condition, with no gaps, mould, dampness or damage.
- Confirm insulation is installed in accordance with NZS 4246:2016.
- Record the R-value or thickness and the inspection date for each ceiling and underfloor space.
Standard 3: Ventilation compliance checklist
Ventilation has two parts: openable windows in every habitable room, and proper extraction in wet rooms.
- Every habitable room has at least one window, door or skylight that opens to the outside and can be fixed open.
- The openable area in each room totals at least 5% of that room’s floor area.
- Kitchens (any room with a cooktop) have an extractor fan with a minimum duct or exhaust diameter of 150mm, or exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second.
- Bathrooms (any room with a shower or bath) have an extractor fan with a minimum duct or exhaust diameter of 120mm, or exhaust capacity of at least 25 litres per second.
The 150mm and 120mm sizes apply to fans installed after 1 July 2019. Fans installed before that date only need to vent to the outside and be in good working order, so you do not have to rip out an older compliant fan. Recirculating whole-house systems such as HRV or DVS do not satisfy the kitchen or bathroom extraction requirement.
Standard 4: Moisture ingress and drainage compliance checklist
- Confirm the property has efficient drainage: working gutters, downpipes and drains that remove storm, surface and ground water, with an appropriate outfall.
- Check whether the property has an enclosed subfloor.
- If there is an enclosed subfloor, install a ground moisture barrier where reasonably practicable.
- Use either a polythene sheet installed per section 8 of NZS 4246:2016, or a material with vapour flow resistance of at least 50 MNs/g installed by a professional.
A ground moisture barrier is only required where there is an enclosed subfloor and it is reasonably practicable, so not every house needs one. A good rental property inspection checklist will flag drainage and subfloor issues before they become compliance problems.
Standard 5: Draught stopping compliance checklist
- Block any unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors that cause noticeable draughts.
- Close off or block the chimney of any open fireplace to stop draughts.
- The only exception is where the tenant asks in writing to keep the fireplace usable and you agree. In that case it must be in good working order.
The compliance statement and record-keeping
Meeting the standards physically is only half the job. A signed healthy homes compliance statement must be included in all new, renewed or varied tenancy agreements. This has been a requirement since 1 December 2020 and is a separate legal obligation with its own penalty.
The compliance statement must record specific data for each standard:
- The heating capacity (in kW) needed for the living room and how it was calculated.
- The R-value or thickness and inspection dates of insulation in each ceiling and underfloor space.
- Confirmation of openable windows, plus the fan diameters or exhaust capacity.
- The drainage and ground moisture barrier status.
- The fireplace and draught status.
Keep all records and documents showing how you comply and make them available on request. That means installer invoices, R-value certificates, heating calculation printouts and dated photos. If a tenant requests compliance information, you must respond within 21 days. Solid records are also a core part of any good property management system, because they protect you if a tenant ever challenges compliance at the Tenancy Tribunal.
Penalties for getting it wrong
Non-compliance with the healthy homes standards is an unlawful act under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and can attract financial penalties of up to $7,200. Failing to include the required compliance statement in a tenancy agreement is a separate breach that can lead to a penalty of up to $500 for each tenancy, or other enforcement action. Both have their own penalty, so cover both.
Exemptions and recent changes
Some properties may qualify for limited exemptions, for example where it is not reasonably practicable to comply, or where the property is to be demolished or substantially rebuilt. Any exemption must be documented. For the full list of exemption categories, see our complete healthy homes standards guide.
One change worth noting: from 25 September 2025, complying with the healthy homes standards means a landlord no longer needs to separately meet the heating requirements of the Housing Improvements Regulations 1947. In short, the healthy homes heating standard now does that job on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five healthy homes standards in NZ?
The five standards are heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage, and draught stopping. Each has its own specific requirements, and a rental must meet all five to be compliant.
Do all rentals have to comply with healthy homes standards now?
Yes. Since 1 July 2025, every private rental in New Zealand must comply with the healthy homes standards. Boarding houses had to comply by 1 July 2021, and Kainga Ora and registered Community Housing Provider homes by 1 July 2024.
What size extractor fan is required for healthy homes?
For fans installed after 1 July 2019, a kitchen needs a 150mm duct or 50 litres per second exhaust capacity, and a bathroom needs a 120mm duct or 25 litres per second. Older compliant fans only need to vent outside and work properly.
Can I use a plug-in electric heater for healthy homes compliance?
No. The heating standard requires a fixed heater, so portable plug-in heaters do not count. A fixed electric heater can sometimes qualify, but it generally cannot be the main heater where the required capacity is more than 2.4 kW, and it must have a thermostat.
Does my rental need a ground moisture barrier?
Only if it has an enclosed subfloor and it is reasonably practicable to install one. Where required, you can use a polythene sheet installed per NZS 4246:2016 section 8, or a material with vapour flow resistance of at least 50 MNs/g installed by a professional.
Get help with healthy homes compliance
Working through this checklist is straightforward enough, but the calculations, certificates and compliance statements add up fast. At Ray White Austar we manage healthy homes compliance for landlords across West Auckland as part of full-service property management, so nothing slips through the cracks. If you would like to know what your property could earn alongside a compliance review, request a free rental appraisal in Auckland and we will take it from there.