Changes to the Healthy Homes Standards (HHS) came into effect on 12 May 2022. In addition to the changes to heating (described in my previous blog), there are minor changes to the ventilation, and moisture ingress and drainage standards.

Changes to ventilation requirements

The ventilation standard now allows systems that provide continuous ventilation from kitchens and bathrooms to meet the ventilation standard as long as they comply with the following:

• they must extract air directly from the kitchen and bathroom(s) to the outside, and
• must have been installed in a property that received a building consent on or after 1 November 2019 and was part of the original consent.

Where renovations have been carried out and a continuous mechanical ventilation system has been installed, the system must:

• provide ventilation for a number of rooms and continuously ventilate air to the outside, and
• must have an exhaust capacity from the kitchen of at least 12 litres/second (l/s), and from the bathroom(s) of at least 10 l/s.

Specific exemptions  

There are two situations where exemptions from the ventilation standard may apply. The most generally applicable exemption is where it is not reasonably practicable to install mechanical ventilation either because:

• there is no access to install the ventilation without substantial building work being done, or
• installation could present a health and safety risk to an installer.

The other, less commonly applicable exemption applies to a room where, if the ventilation required for the room was compliant at the time it was built or converted to a habitable space, and the ventilation still meets those same requirements, it may be exempted from the ventilation standard.

Change to moisture ingress and drainage requirements

A ground moisture barrier must be installed in enclosed subfloor spaces of rental properties. (Note that a ground moisture barrier is not a requirement under the Building Code or for a building consent.)

Where it is not reasonably practicable to install a barrier in a subfloor space, the landlord is not required to install an alternative moisture barrier.

Specific exemptions

Specific exemptions to installing a ground moisture barrier are where:

• an installer cannot access the subfloor space without substantial building work, or
• where installation would create a health or safety risk to the installer.
  
  

For more information

For more information, go the website here.