Healthy Homes Checks

Healthy Homes checks when buying or selling a rental property

When a property is rented, its heating, insulation, ventilation and moisture-control records are part of understanding the investment. Request the current information early, compare it with the home and identify any work or unanswered questions before agreeing your purchase or sale terms.

Understand the five areas

Tenancy Services’ Healthy Homes guidance covers five standards, with exemptions that may apply to the property or parts of it. Use the detailed official requirements for the particular home.

• Heating: ask for the main living-room heating-capacity calculation, the heater details and installation information. Compare the calculation with the current room and equipment.
• Insulation: request the ceiling and underfloor insulation information, including available labels or installation records. Check condition and whether the applicable requirement or an exemption has been assessed.
• Ventilation: review openable windows and doors, kitchen and bathroom extraction and where the fans discharge. Ask about alterations that may have changed ventilation.
• Moisture ingress and drainage: inspect available information about gutters, downpipes, surface drainage and any enclosed subfloor. Check whether a ground moisture barrier is required and what has been installed.
• Draught stopping: examine the assessment of gaps, doors, windows, floors and unused fireplaces. Check whether repairs or later work have changed the position.

Request a clear record, rather than a label

Tenancy Services explains that the landlord is responsible for meeting the standards and maintaining compliance over time. Required new, renewed or varied tenancy agreements need a signed compliance statement, and landlords must retain supporting records. Read the current landlord guidance and the detailed statement requirements.

For a purchase, ask for the statement, available assessments, heating calculations, installation invoices, maintenance records and the basis of any claimed exemption. Check dates and whether the documents describe the home as it stands today. A folder of receipts is useful evidence to review; your advisers still need to understand what the work and assessment cover.

Build any outstanding work into your decision

List the issue, who will assess it, the proposed work, estimated cost and timing. Discuss relevant contract conditions and responsibility for work with your lawyer. If a tenancy continues after settlement, coordinate the information handover and obtain advice on the obligations you will take on. For a seller, accurate records help answer buyer questions without promising that an unexamined home is compliant.

My property is brand new; do I still need a Healthy Homes assessment?

A home’s age does not settle every requirement. Ask which calculation and supporting records apply, what has been assessed and whether the current equipment and layout match the documents. Review any assessment’s scope and identify gaps rather than relying on the description “new build”.

Can I do draught stopping or moisture-barrier work myself?

The installation still needs to meet the applicable requirements. Check the official instructions, whether the proposed work needs a qualified or licensed person, and your ability to complete it safely. Retain useful records of the materials, work and assessment. Use suitable professional help for technical or hazardous work.

Are there exemptions for older or heritage homes?

Check the official exemption conditions against the actual property. Establish which requirement is affected and what evidence supports the exemption. Age or a character-home description alone is not a sufficient explanation.

Discuss a property purchase or sale

Explore Ray White Richmond’s properties or request a sales appraisal. Our team can discuss the listing information and sale process. For ongoing tenancy management or repairs, contact the landlord or appointed property manager; use Tenancy Services for independent tenancy information.