How to Complete Your Healthy Homes Compliance Statement Without Hiring an Assessor

You don't need to hire a commercial assessor to complete your Healthy Homes compliance statement. The Residential Tenancies Act requires you, the landlord, to sign the Section 13A compliance statement — no third party is legally mandated. What you do need is the right evidence and a systematic process for collecting it. Here's how to do it yourself.

This matters because a properly completed compliance statement, backed by organised evidence, supports your position at the Tenancy Tribunal. An assessor's report is useful context, but it doesn't replace your own signed declaration — and it doesn't create the ongoing evidence file you need to maintain compliance through tenancy renewals, repairs, and inspections.

What the Compliance Statement Actually Requires

Form HHS-8113, available free from Tenancy Services, is the official template. It requires you to declare that your rental property meets all five Healthy Homes Standards:

1. Heating — one or more qualifying fixed heaters in the largest living space, with enough capacity to raise it to at least 18°C during cold weather
2. Insulation — ceiling and underfloor insulation at or above the minimum R-values (or a valid exemption)
3. Ventilation — openable windows, doors, or skylights in every liveable space, capable of being fixed open and meeting the 5% floor-area threshold, plus mechanical extraction systems that discharge outdoors in rooms with indoor cooktops or baths/showers
4. Moisture ingress and drainage — efficient drainage for stormwater, surface water, and groundwater, plus a ground moisture barrier in enclosed subfloor spaces where required
5. Draught stopping — no unreasonable gaps around doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and floors

For each standard, the form asks you to confirm compliance and note any exemptions that apply. The technical fields are where landlords get stuck — and where a structured process makes the difference.

The DIY Process: Standard by Standard

Heating

Identify the main living room (the home's largest living space) and measure its length, width, ceiling height, and window area. Note the wall construction, insulation and glazing details, location, and whether the room is on a ground floor or upper level.

Enter these measurements into the free MBIE Heating Assessment Tool online. It calculates the minimum kilowatt output your room needs.

Check your existing fixed heat pump's rating plate (usually on the indoor unit) or look up the model's specifications. If it has a thermostat and meets or exceeds the calculated kW requirement, it complies. For a qualifying heater installed before 1 July 2019, if the required capacity exceeds 2.4 kW, it complies when its total capacity is at least 80% of the calculated requirement. Record the model number, the calculated kW requirement, and the heater's rated output.

If you don't have a heat pump yet, or your existing one falls short, you'll need a compliant fixed heater. Have a heat pump installed by a qualified HVAC technician or electrician, and gas work done by a registered gasfitter. Keep the installer's invoice and any applicable Electrical Safety Certificate or gas safety certificate in your evidence file.

Insulation

Check ceiling insulation by accessing the roof space. Note the type (fibreglass batts, loose fill, polyester) and, if visible, the R-value from the manufacturer's label. The minimum R-value depends on your climate zone — Zone 1 (Auckland, Northland, and Coromandel) requires R 2.9 for ceilings; Zone 2 (Central and Lower North Island, excluding the Central Plateau) requires R 2.9; Zone 3 (Central Plateau and South Island) requires R 3.3.

Check underfloor insulation the same way, if accessible. Regulation 19 may provide an exemption where the area cannot be accessed safely or installation would require substantial structural demolition; document the basis for any exemption claim.

If ceiling insulation was installed before 1 July 2016, it can remain if it is in reasonable condition and at least 120 mm deep across the ceiling. Thinner insulation generally must meet the current zone R-value, unless you have records showing it met that R-value when installed and has not lost more than 30% of its original depth.

Ventilation

Measure the total openable area of windows, doors, or skylights in every liveable space. The standard requires the total to equal at least 5% of that space's floor area, and each opening must be capable of being fixed open. Measure the openable section (not the full frame) and calculate the total for each space.

Check extraction in rooms with indoor cooktops or baths/showers. Systems must discharge outdoors, not into the roof space. For systems installed after 1 July 2019, minimum fan-and-duct diameters are 150mm in kitchens and 120mm in bathrooms, with exhaust flow rates of at least 50 L/s in kitchens and 25 L/s in bathrooms. A qualifying continuous multi-room system must provide at least 12 L/s in kitchens and 10 L/s in bathrooms. Earlier systems have no minimum diameter but must be in good working order and discharge outdoors. Record the fan model, the ducting route, and whether it operates continuously or on a switch.

Moisture Ingress and Drainage

Walk the property perimeter. Check for active leaks (staining on walls or ceilings), functional guttering and downpipes, and adequate ground drainage away from the foundation.

Check the subfloor for standing water or persistent dampness. If the subfloor has a ground moisture barrier, note its condition. An enclosed subfloor generally requires a ground moisture barrier; Regulation 29 provides an exemption if an experienced installer confirms in writing that access is unsafe or not reasonably practicable.

Take dated photographs of the subfloor condition, guttering, and any areas of concern.

Draught Stopping

Check external doors, windows, walls, ceilings, and floors for unreasonable gaps or holes that produce noticeable draughts. The standard doesn't define a millimetre threshold; it requires unreasonable gaps to be sealed.

Check wall and ceiling junctions, gaps around pipes and service penetrations, and fireplace openings. Open fireplaces must be blocked or fitted with a draught stopper unless the tenant requests in writing to keep the fireplace open and the landlord agrees.

Building Your Evidence File

The compliance statement is one page. The evidence behind it is what matters. For each standard, you need:

• Heating: MBIE tool calculation printout, heat pump model and rated output, installer invoice, and any applicable Electrical Safety Certificate or gas safety certificate
• Insulation: photographs of ceiling and underfloor insulation, R-value documentation (manufacturer labels or installer records), exemption evidence if applicable
• Ventilation: room-by-room openable-area measurements for windows, doors, or skylights and 5% calculations, extractor fan specifications, ducting photographs
• Moisture: dated photographs of subfloor, guttering, and any remediation work
• Draught stopping: photographs of sealed unreasonable gaps and blocked or fitted open fireplaces

Store everything in a single property file — physical or digital — organised by standard. This is the file you'd present if a tenant makes a complaint or MBIE's enforcement team contacts you.

The Healthy Homes Standards Compliance Guide includes a Property Compliance Filing Guide that maps each standard to the exact evidence it requires, plus printable worksheets for the heating assessment, ventilation measurements, and contractor briefings — saving you from building the filing system from scratch.

Common Mistakes When Going DIY

Treating the compliance statement as a formality. Landlords often tick the boxes on Form HHS-8113 without collecting the supporting evidence. The statement is a legal declaration. If challenged at the Tenancy Tribunal, you need the evidence behind each tick.

Forgetting the heating calculation. "I have a heat pump" is not compliance. The standard requires a fixed heater that meets the specific kilowatt output for your living room's dimensions. A 2.5kW unit in a large, poorly insulated room may not comply.

Confusing exemptions with exclusions. A subfloor insulation exemption (Regulation 19) doesn't exempt the property from the other four standards. Partial exemptions are standard-specific — document the exemption evidence and comply with everything else.

Not updating after repairs. When you replace a heat pump, top up insulation, or install new extractor fans, update your evidence file. Any Section 13A statement you provide with a new, renewed, or varied tenancy agreement should reflect the property's current state.

Who This Is For

• Self-managing landlords comfortable with property measurements and evidence collection
• Landlords with straightforward 2–3 bedroom houses or flats
• Anyone wanting to understand what's required before deciding whether to pay an assessor
• Landlords preparing for a tenancy renewal who need to update their compliance statement

Who This Is NOT For

• Landlords with complex multi-level properties or unusual construction they can't assess safely
• Anyone facing an active Tenancy Tribunal complaint — get legal advice
• Landlords who want a hands-off approach — hire a property management agency or assessor
• Commercial or boarding house operators (different compliance pathways apply)

Tradeoffs: DIY vs Assessor

DIY advantages: lower cost, deeper understanding of your property's compliance status, ongoing control of the evidence file, no recurring inspection fees.

DIY limitations: takes more of your time, requires physical access to roof space and subfloor, relies on your own judgment about whether conditions meet the standard.

Assessor advantages: professional measurements, independent verification, can identify issues you might miss in complex properties.

Assessor limitations: $200–$600+ per visit, no Section 13A preparation, no ongoing compliance tracking, potential contractor referral conflicts.

For a standard residential rental, the DIY path with a structured compliance guide produces a stronger long-term compliance record than a one-off assessment — because the evidence file stays current.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a commercial Healthy Homes assessment required by law?

No. The Residential Tenancies Act requires the landlord to sign the compliance statement. No third-party assessment, inspection, or certificate is legally mandated. The term "Healthy Homes certificate" is commercial marketing, not a statutory requirement.

What if I get a measurement wrong?

The compliance statement should be based on the evidence you hold. If your heating calculation is questioned, records of your room measurements, MBIE tool inputs and output, and heater specifications let you explain the basis for your statement; they do not replace meeting the standard.

How long should I keep my compliance evidence?

Keep records for the duration of the tenancy plus at least 12 months. If a tenant makes a complaint within 12 months of the tenancy ending, you'll need the evidence. The Compliance Maintenance Log in the Healthy Homes Standards Compliance Guide is structured for this timeline.

Do I need to redo the compliance statement at every tenancy renewal?

Yes. Section 13A requires the compliance statement to be included with every new, renewed, or varied tenancy agreement. If nothing has changed, the statement itself may be identical — but review your evidence file and update any records that have changed (new heat pump, insulation work, fan replacement).

What's the penalty for getting it wrong?

The Tenancy Tribunal can award exemplary damages of up to $7,200 for non-compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards, plus up to $750 for failing to provide a signed compliance statement or intentionally making a false or misleading statement. A documented evidence file supports the information in the statement.

Can I use the free MBIE guides instead of a compliance guide?

Yes — the official guides are accurate and free. The difference is structure. The MBIE guides explain the standards. A compliance guide like the Healthy Homes Standards Compliance Guide adds the filing system, the worksheets, the contractor briefing tools, and the maintenance log that keeps everything organised and audit-ready.

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