Residential Tenancies Act 1986, s 45(1)(c); Housing Improvement Regulations 1947, reg 6; Cases: District Court, Chch, CIV-201 0-009-3562, 3 Feb 2011 – Tenancy Tribunal 4095081
Yes. The law says landlords have to provide an “approved form of heating” in the living room. This can’t be just a power point (an electrical outlet) or a gas outlet – there has to be some kind of heating appliance.
Landlords don’t have to provide heating in the bedrooms and other rooms.
Cases: Tenancy Tribunal 4121554 – Tenancy Tribunal 4127146 – Tenancy Tribunal 4129914
In various cases the Tenancy Tribunal has looked at exactly what kind of heating appliances a landlord has to provide. It doesn’t have to be a heat pump. On the other hand, landlords won’t be able to get away with something that’s clearly inadequate given the size of your place – like a small electric heater in a large home. In one case, the Tenancy Tribunal decided an electric wall heater was an approved form of heating.
Unflued gas heaters are not an approved form of heating. These are gas heaters, whether portable or fixed to the wall, that don’t vent to the outside air. They produce a number of harmful pollutants (like carbon monoxide), and also produce water vapour, which can lead to mould and dust mites.
Case: Tenancy Tribunal 4081393
If there’s a fireplace, the landlord has to make sure the chimney is swept regularly.