Poor insulation
Question from Tom updated on 26th March 2013:
I am a landlord and also a tenant. I am renting in Palmerston North in a poorly insulated house. While there is insulation in the roof , it is void as it is over 40-years-old,disintegrated and less than effective.Can I request that it be restored to what it should be (i.e. when it was installed)?
Our expert Juliet Robinson responded:
I assume that you have been renting your current property for a short period of time, and not for 40 years. When you viewed the property you had an opportunity to check out its features. Whether it has been insulated, and when it was insulated, are both of questions that you are free to ask prior to entering a tenancy agreement. The property is rented in its condition at the time of viewing it and of signing the tenancy agreement. You need to make sure that you are happy with the property before you sign, and the landlord cannot be expected to make any improvements unless they are agreed to as a condition of the tenancy. However, it is a good time for your landlord to re-insulate, given the current technology and there may be financial options available with Government insulation incentives. You may like to refer your landlord to www.eeca.govt.nz to learn about home insulation funding. A warm house is more likely to make tenants stay for longer.
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