Landlords have just over a month left to make sure their rental properties are fully insulated. From July 1, all rental properties must have floor and ceiling insulation where it is possible.
If your landlord has failed to do so, they will be breaching the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). The Tenancy Compliance and Investigations (TCI) say there will be "no room" for extensions.
"The RTA does not allow for extensions as this would be unfair to those landlords who have acted in time to do the right thing," said acting manager of the TCI Peter Hackshaw.
If you suspect your landlord has failed to insulate your home, then there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
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"Having a plan [to insulate] in place will not be enough to protect a landlord from financial penalties," said Hackshaw in a statement on Thursday.
The penalty for failing to insulate will be up to $4,000.
To get landlords to face these financial penalties, tenants who have not had their homes fully insulated by 1 July should apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
"Failing to comply is not only unlawful, it also exposes tenants to potential harm by not having a home that is warm and dry enough during the winter months."
"The Tenancy Compliance and Investigation team will continue to focus on landlords who systematically breach the Residential Tenancies Act," said Hackshaw.
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