Landlords urged to insulate

Landlords are being encouraged to not put off the insulation of their buildings.

Insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes by July 1, 2019, and Insulation Statements are already compulsory on all new tenancy agreements. The statements require landlords to disclose whether there is insulation in the rental home, where it is, what type and what condition it is in.

Real estate agent Ken Bogue, of Ray White, says anecdotally, he has heard of a lot of rental property owners getting quotes for insulation, but not following through and getting the work done.

“We could be looking at a massive demand for home insulators at the start of 2019 so that landlords don’t get fined,” he says. “This could see prices rise or cowboys coming to town.”

Ken says his advice to landlords is to get the job done now by a reputable company. He adds that a well-insulated house is also much easier to rent.

“The days when someone could buy a sub-standard property and rent it out for top money are well and truly gone. There’s a lot of new legislation, including Health & Safety laws, and there are substantial fines for landlords found in breach of them.”

Some landlords may be eligible for subsidised insulation installed through the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme. Conditions apply.