Healthy Homes after the deadline: what landlords must keep

The five standards

• Heating: one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room.
• Insulation: ceiling and underfloor insulation that meets the standard.
• Ventilation: windows that open in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms, and extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms.
• Moisture ingress and drainage: efficient drainage and guttering, and a ground moisture barrier where the subfloor is enclosed.
• Draught stopping: unreasonable gaps and holes in walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors that cause noticeable draughts blocked.

The compliance statement

Every new or renewed tenancy agreement must include a statement of the property’s compliance with the Healthy Homes standards. The statement covers each of the five standards and any exemption that applies. An agreement without one is a breach in itself, whatever the state of the house.

Records

Landlords have had to keep records that show their rental complies since 1 July 2019 — assessments, invoices for the work, photographs, product details. A tenant can ask for that information, and the landlord must give it within 21 days.

The records matter most when they are needed in a hurry: a tenant’s request, a Tenancy Services compliance investigation, or an application to the Tribunal.

Keeping it in Propex

Each property in Propex has a standing answer for Healthy Homes — Yes, No, or not yet stated — so nothing is assumed. A Yes asks for the compliance certificate, which is kept among the property’s documents. When you generate a tenancy agreement, the Healthy Homes statement is printed from that record, with the insurance statement the Act also requires.