🏡 IS YOUR RENTAL COMPLIANT WITH HEALTHY HOMES STANDARDS? A WAKE-UP CALL FOR LANDLORDS

Patrick Rankin
Jul 12, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Jul 14, 2025

THE RISK ISN’T JUST FINES — IT’S DELAYS, LOST RENT, AND TRIBUNAL ORDERS

One of the most common — and costly — mistakes landlords make today is assuming their rental meets the Healthy Homes Standards… without checking. As recent Tenancy Tribunal cases show, this can lead to rent refunds, compliance breaches, and long delays when trying to re-let a property.

TRIBUNAL CASE EXAMPLE: NON-COMPLIANT VENTILATION DELAYS NEW TENANCY

In the 2024 Tribunal case [Swale v Armstrong], the landlord believed the property was compliant — but when the tenant moved in and requested heating and ventilation reports, the landlord couldn’t produce them. Upon inspection, it was found that the lounge didn’t meet the fixed heating requirement, and extractor fans were missing in both the kitchen and bathroom.

➡️ Result: The landlord was ordered to install compliant systems within 14 days and pay $1,100 in compensation for breach of the Healthy Homes Standards and the tenant’s stress/inconvenience.

ANOTHER CASE:

ANDERSON V LI:

$3,000 in Penalties for Delays and Avoidance

In this 2023 case, the landlord failed to provide a heating source that met the minimum kilowatt threshold. When challenged, they argued the heat pump was “close enough” and refused to engage with Healthy Homes assessors.

➡️ Outcome: The Tribunal ruled that the landlord willfully avoided compliance and awarded the tenant $3,000 in penalties for breach of Section 45 of the Residential Tenancies Act.

WHY IT MATTERS

Many landlords think Healthy Homes Standards are just a technical box to tick. But the Tribunal doesn’t see it that way. Here’s what can happen if you’re not compliant:

Tenants can apply for compensation or refunds
Properties can become unrentable until issues are fixed
You may be ordered to pay penalties up to $7,200 per breach
Re-letting delays cost you weeks (or months) of lost rent

THE GOOD NEIGHBOURS APPROACH

At Good Neighbours, we don’t leave compliance to chance. We:

Conduct thorough pre-tenancy checks on heating, ventilation, insulation, drainage, and draught stopping
Work only with vetted Healthy Homes assessors
Keep digital records of reports, statements, and certificates
Ensure your rental is compliant before it goes live
Help you navigate Tribunal risk and avoid unnecessary costs

FINAL WORD

If you’re not 100% sure your rental meets all five Healthy Homes Standards — now is the time to act. Tribunal adjudicators no longer accept “I didn’t know” as an excuse.

Proactive landlords protect their rent. Reactive landlords pay for it later.