Government announcement; Healthy Homes, meth regulations and property management regulations

Healthy Homes Standards compliance timeframes

The Government is extending the Healthy Homes Standards compliance timeframes for private landlords, Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, and Community Housing Providers, through the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Amendment Bill 2022.

Once the law comes into effect from 26 November, the compliance timeframe for Kāinga Ora and Community Housing Providers will shift from 1 July 2023 to a new date of 1 July 2024. The final date of compliance for private landlords will shift from 1 July 2024 to 1 July 2025, with the compliance timeframe for a new or renewed tenancy shifting from 90 days to 120 days.

Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development explains that the new timeframes will provide additional time for both the private and public housing providers to achieve compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards, in recognition of the impact that COVID-19 has had on implementation in recent years.

Nick Maling, General Manager National Services explains that Kāinga Ora will still work towards maximum compliance with the Standards by 1 July 2023.

“Kāinga Ora has approximately 65,000 currently tenanted public houses that are required to meet the healthy homes standards, and as at 31 October, 84 percent either meet the standards or have work in progress to meet them.  We are racing towards full compliance, and we still have eight months to go. We are not taking our foot off the gas.

“An extension will be helpful if more time is needed to manage access to homes, and to manage high demand for tradespeople in certain regions.

“The Kāinga Ora Healthy Homes Delivery Programme is our largest planned maintenance programme to date in terms of breadth, complexity and volume, and we are completing healthy homes upgrades to over 600 homes per week. That is a huge task, but it’s also a hugely positive impact on people’s lives - that is 600 whānau every week benefiting from a warmer, drier and healthier home,” Nick says.

For more information on the healthy homes standards compliance extension, visit www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/healthy-homes-standards/(external link)   

Methamphetamine regulations

A Government consultation on methamphetamine regulations in rental housing opened Tuesday 22 November 2022, and will run through to Monday 20 February 2023.

Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has developed proposals relating to methamphetamine screening, testing, and decontamination, which aim to provide greater clarity on processes and clear obligations for landlords.

Nick Maling says Kāinga Ora welcomes the consultation.

“Like other landlords, Kāinga Ora is faced with the issue of methamphetamine contamination in some of our homes. We take this very seriously.  We also realise that meth use is first and foremost a health and addiction issue and that it can impact all members of a household, including children.

“Kāinga Ora takes a health-based approach to managing instances of meth contamination. This means we place top priority on ensuring people and whānau are living well in our homes, and know how and where they can obtain support from, and access to, support services if needed,” says Nick.  

For information on the methamphetamine regulations for residential tenancies consultation, visit www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/methamphetamine-regulations/(external link)

Regulations for residential property managers

Minister Woods also announced new regulations for residential property managers, which introduces national standards around training, licensing, and practice for all professional property managers, giving tenants and landlords confidence in the quality of the property management services they receive. 

Kāinga Ora is not captured by the regime because as a public housing landlord, our services are regulated through the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA).

However, Kāinga Ora will ensure that training and entry requirements for our Housing Support Managers align with those in the proposed regulations, where relevant and appropriate for the public housing context.

For more information on the regulations for residential property managers visit www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/regulating-residential-property-managers/(external link)