With temperatures plummeting recently, many Kiwis will be wondering what they can do to stay warm. It's no secret many New Zealand homes, particularly rental properties, are not well insulated.
To bring more homes up to standard, the Government is asking landlords to provide underfloor and ceiling insulation in 180,000 rental properties across the country.
This will mean fewer hospital patients with circulatory and respiratory illnesses, and less money spent on medication. It will also mean New Zealanders take fewer sick days.
It is also worrying to note an estimated 120,000 rental properties currently do not have working smoke alarms. The Government is requiring smoke alarms to be installed in all tenanted properties from July 1 next year. This is expected to save three lives a year.
Some people have asked why we don't require more of landlords. This is because landlords will almost certainly pass the cost of heavy-handed regulations on to their tenants through rent increases.
If a property requires a smoke alarm, as well as ceiling and floor insulation, we would expect the rent to go up by $3.20 per week. That cost is more than outweighed by the benefits of a home being warmer and safer, and cheaper power and medical bills.
Other issues like leaky roofs, excessive dampness and unsafe wiring are already covered by existing regulations. They just need to be enforced. As part of these changes we'll be toughening up on that.
