Rental homes musty, smelly and mouldy

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

Meanwhile, 12 per cent of rentals smelt musty compared with 6 per cent of owned homes, and just under a third of rentals felt damp, compared with 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 owneroccupied 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.’’

But Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith said the results were not surprising. ‘‘This is as a consequence of the owner having a more direct interest in a property’s maintenance, doing more self-maintenance, and being able to organise repairs more directly.’’

The survey also 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 said.

Tenancy Protection Christchurch manager Di Harwood also said the findings were no surprise.

‘‘Owner-occupiers are far more likely to maintain their properties, especially if they are living in them, whereas in tenanted homes, the landlords are less likely to want to understand what’s going on for tenants.

‘‘Christchurch has a lot of as-is-whereis houses which are being bought cheaply and tenanted out, where conditions are not ideal.’’

Smith pointed to the overall decrease in poorly maintained homes as signs 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.

The survey rated houses on 49 features, including foundations, exterior walls, insulation and interior linings. These were used to place homes on a fivepoint scale ranging from serious condition – meaning the house required immediate work due to 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.

Rentals were usually older as well, with a larger percentage built before 1980.

‘‘There are landlords out there who are not interested in maintaining their properties,’’ Wellington Property Developer Association president Richard Bacon said.

‘‘People are starting to realise that ‘just put another jumper on’ isn’t a way forward.’’

"Christchurch has a lot of as-is-where-is houses which are being bought cheaply and tenanted out, where conditions are not ideal." Tenancy Protection Christchurch manager Di Harwood