Rental insulation rules
As a landlord, you have some responsibilities for the weather tightness and condition of your rental so that your tenants can enjoy a warm, dry and healthy property. These rules have been in place since July 2019 for all rental properties. Where it is possible for you to access and install, your rental property must have adequate ceiling and underfloor insulation, The standards that you must meet are set out in the Residential Tenancies Act for the Healthy Homes Standard.
If you would like to find our more on your obligations as a Landlord then visit the Tenancy Service website
Brightr can help get your properties compliant with free quotes, advice and inspections to check if your property is up to standard.
Rental Insulation Standard.
Insulation requirements are measured by R-value. R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. Minimum R-values vary across New Zealand.
- Zone 1 - Ceiling R 2.9, Underfloor R 1.3
- Zone 2 - Ceiling R 2.9, Underfloor R 1.3
- Zone 3 - Ceiling R 3.3, Underfloor R 1.3
The R-value of new insulation is on the product packaging. For existing insulation, check in the ceiling or underfloor space as the R-value from the packaging should be stapled to a beam. Existing ceiling insulation that was installed before 1 July 2016 must be at least 120mm thick. Ceiling insulation that is less than 120mm thick is acceptable if you can prove:
- the insulation’s R-value met the minimum R-values (2.9 or 3.3 depending on the climate zone) when it was installed, and
- the insulation’s thickness has not degraded by more than 30% (compared to when it was installed