Study finds more rentals smelly

Rental homes are twice as likely to have poorly-maintained features than owneroccupied ones, according to a new survey.

Those rentals were also twice as likely to smell musty, three times more likely to feel damp, and more likely to have visible mould.

The findings from the Housing Condition Survey, from the Building Research Association of New Zealand (Branz), showed almost a third of rentals were deemed by assessors to have poorly maintained features, compared to only 14 per cent of owner-occupied properties.

Meanwhile, 12 per cent of rentals smelled musty compared to 6 per cent of owned homes, and just under a third of rentals felt damp, compared to 11 per cent of owner-occupied.

The survey is the largest of its kind in New Zealand, encompassing 560 standalone and terraced houses, and has been carried out every five years since 1994.

The overall condition of New Zealand housing had improved since the previous survey in 2010. However, Branz research analyst Vicki White said the gap between owner-occupied properties and rentals had remained constant.

’’The indication is it is generally the interior and more easily replaced items that are improving to a greater extent than more difficult and expensive features, like roofs and walls.’’

White said she was shocked by the prevalence of mould, which was visible in nearly half of houses.

Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith said the survey sent a message that landlords could do better, and justified a law change last year that imposed extra obligations on landlords, including making insulation and smoke alarms compulsory.

Smith pointed to the overall decrease in poorly-maintained homes as a sign of progress. Those had dropped from 25 to 14 per cent for owner-occupied homes, and 44 to 32 per cent for rental properties.

Branz building performance research team leader Mark Jones said initiatives, such as Warm Up New Zealand, which offered subsidies for insulation, may have contributed to overall improvement.

‘‘The aim is to try and improve our housing stock and get them warmer, drier and healthier. We are hoping some of the areas we highlight and the data we are finding with our House Condition Survey supports the movement in that direction,’’ he said.

Sixty-five per cent of the sample, or 411, were owned, with 35 per cent, or 149, being rentals.

The survey rated houses on 49 different features, including foundations, exterior walls, insulation and interior linings. These were used to place homes on a five-point scale ranging from serious condition - meaning the house required immediate work because of health and safety risks - to excellent, which were typically as-new.

The biggest differences in quality were between interior linings and fittings, as well as exterior doors and windows, all of which were in poorer condition in rented homes.