New laws for landlords from tomorrow, July 1st, are to make sure that tenants are safe, warm and dry.
Landlords must make sure there are smoke alarms in every house which is rented. Every bedroom must have a smoke alarm within 3 metres of the door and every floor of a two-storey house must have a smoke alarm. When new tenants arrive in a house, the landlord has to make sure the smoke alarms are working.
Landlords also have to install insulation in the ceiling and under the floor if the house is not already insulated. Too many houses in New Zealand are cold and damp. Landlords have the next 3 years to complete the insulation and they must tell the tenants.
Ventilation is important to dry out a house. Tenants can open doors and windows to ventilate the house.
Landlords also have to provide some kind of heating in the living room. They do not have to provide heating in other rooms. A healthy temperature during the day is at least 18 degrees in a living room, or 20 degrees if there are small children, elderly or sick people. Bedrooms should be a minimum of 16 degrees overnight.
Listen to Healthy Homes Bill for more about this new law.
Vocabulary
• within 3 metres – 3 metres or less, not more than
• install – put in permanently
• insulation (n), insulate (v) – use a material like fiberglass to stop the heat escaping from the house
• ventilate – put fresh air in the house