jul 1, 2016 - Residential Tenancies Act - amended

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Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 set out new requirements for the provision of smoke alarms and insulation for rental housing.
All residential rental properties were required to have working smoke alarms. Landlords had the responsibility to install working alarms appropriately located to protect residents and tenants had the responsibility to replace the batteries when required. All new smoke-alarms were required to be long-life models. Non-compliance could attract a potential fine of $4,000.
All social housing rental properties were required to have under floor and ceiling insulation and all new tenancy agreements were required to declare the level of insulation. All rental properties, subject to a few exceptions, were required to be insulated by 1 July 2019.
There was a new provision to allow the government to prosecute landlords whose property breached basic housing standards covering issues such as dampness, sanitation, electrical safety, security, drainage and maintenance. The intention was, however, for most cases to continue to be taken by affected tenants to the Tenancy Tribunal. The legislative changes supported this by strengthening the protection from retaliatory evictions by landlords.
A new Tenancy Compliance Investigations Team was established within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to focus on tenancies involving vulnerable tenants and landlords with multiple sub-standard properties.
The legislative changes also enabled homes that had been abandoned by a tenant to be re-tenanted more quickly, with a 10-day process. Previously, this took up to six weeks, leaving a house empty and the landlord without income.
The changes affected more than 450,000 rental homes, including social housing.

Source: https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/about-msd/history/social-assistance-chronology-programme-history.html

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