A healthy homes heat pump for your Christchurch rental
We install heat pumps for Christchurch landlords and size them to the Healthy Homes heating standard. The capacity figure depends on the main living room's floor area, ceiling, windows and insulation, and we work it out before recommending a unit. You get the model and capacity in writing, and quotes are free.
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The Healthy Homes heating standard, in plain terms
If you rent out a home in Christchurch, the main living room needs a fixed heater that can heat it. The rule is specific:
- One or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room to at least 18°C.
- Sized to the required heating capacity for that room.
- A heat pump used for it must have a thermostat.
- Open fires and unflued combustion heaters don’t qualify.
That’s the test. A plug-in heater doesn’t count because it isn’t fixed. An open fire doesn’t count whatever it does to the room. A heat pump does count, as long as it’s the right size and it has a thermostat.
Working out the healthy homes heat pump capacity your rental needs
The capacity isn’t a guess. It’s a figure worked out for the main living room, and it depends on the room itself:
- Floor area and ceiling height. A bigger room, or one with a high ceiling, needs more heat.
- Insulation in the ceiling, walls and underfloor. The less there is, the more capacity the room needs.
- Windows. How much glass, whether it’s single or double glazed, and how much sun the room gets.
- The floor. A room over a cold, uninsulated floor loses more heat than one over a warm space.
- Where the home is. Christchurch’s climate is part of the calculation.
You can work the figure out with the Tenancy Services heating assessment tool, or with the formula set out in the regulations. We do it for the room we’re heating before we recommend a unit, so the heat pump we fit matches the number.
Get a free quote. Installs, servicing and repairs on all major brands.
The 2.4 kW line and newer homes
Two details catch landlords out.
Over 2.4 kW, a heat pump is the electric option that counts. If the main living room needs more than 2.4 kW, a fixed electric heater other than a heat pump can’t be used to meet the standard. Whatever you fit, each qualifying heater has to be at least 1.5 kW. We check the unit’s rated heating output against the room’s figure, not just the model name.
Newer homes use a different formula. Homes built to the 2008 building code are assessed with a formula that usually gives a smaller capacity figure. That’s because they’re better insulated and hold their heat. The upshot is often a smaller unit than an older villa the same size would need. We check which formula applies to your rental before we size anything.
What we do for landlords
Landlords need a heat pump that meets the standard and paperwork to prove it. That’s what we give you.
- The right size, worked out properly. We measure the main living room and work the capacity figure for it, then pick a unit that meets it.
- The model and capacity in writing. You get them for your records, so you can keep them with your tenancy file and show them if you’re asked.
- A thermostat on every unit we fit for this. That’s part of the standard and part of what we install.
- A straight answer on what your room needs. If a unit you already have meets the figure, we’ll tell you. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you that too.
We don’t state penalties or dates here. The rules and the tool are the place to check those. What we do is fit the heat pump and give you the record of what went in.
Heat pumps for rental properties across Christchurch
Most of the rental installs we do are in the suburbs around the universities and the city fringe. Student flats and older villas are common there, and so are living rooms with nothing fixed in them.
- Riccarton and Upper Riccarton. Older villas and flats, often with a lounge that’s had a plug-in heater and nothing else.
- Ilam. Student rentals near the university. Many have a single main living room that one well sized high wall unit will heat.
- Addington and Phillipstown. A mix of older workers’ cottages and townhouses, many rented out.
- The rest of the city. We fit heat pumps for landlords in Sydenham, Linwood, Papanui and further out.
If your rental is in one of these suburbs, we’ve likely worked out the capacity for a room much like yours before.
Choosing a landlord heat pump for a rental
For most rentals, a high wall heat pump in the living room is the simplest fit. It’s out of the way, it’s what tenants expect, and it meets the thermostat requirement. A floor console suits a room with no high wall space, or one where you want the heat down low.
What matters more than the model is the size. A unit that’s too small won’t heat the room to 18°C on a cold morning and won’t meet the capacity figure. A unit that’s too big cycles on and off and costs more to run. We size to the figure and pick from the brands we fit.
If the living room is open to the kitchen and dining, we size for the whole open space. If it’s a separate room with a door, we size for the room. The standard is about the main living room, so that’s where the heat pump goes.
Getting your healthy homes heat pump sorted
Send us the address and the main living room’s details, or book a visit and we’ll measure it. We’ll work out the capacity, recommend a unit that meets it, and give you the model and capacity in writing once it’s installed.
Start with a free quote, or read more about heat pump installation in Christchurch first.
Heat pump brands we fit in Christchurch rentals
We install five brands and compare their models for your rooms, then suggest the one that fits, not whatever's in stock.
Service and repair
Other brands
Most other split and ducted heat pumps sold in New Zealand.
Healthy Homes heat pumps across Christchurch
We fit heat pumps for landlords in Riccarton, Ilam, Upper Riccarton, Addington, Phillipstown and the rest of Christchurch.
Healthy Homes heat pump questions
What does the Healthy Homes heating standard actually require?
One or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room to at least 18°C, sized to the heating capacity that room needs. A heat pump used for it must have a thermostat. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters don't count.
How do you work out the capacity my rental needs?
We use the Tenancy Services heating assessment tool, or the formula in the regulations, for the main living room. The figure depends on the room's floor area, ceiling and floor, windows, insulation and where it is in the country.
My rental was built after 2008. Does that change anything?
Yes. Homes built to the 2008 building code use a different formula, and it usually gives a smaller figure. We check which formula applies before we size the unit.
Will a standard high wall heat pump meet the standard?
Usually, if it's sized to the capacity the room needs and it has a thermostat. Most units we fit do. We confirm the model and capacity against the figure before you commit.
What paperwork do I get for my records?
The model and its heating capacity in writing, so you can keep it with your tenancy records and show it if you're asked.
More on heat pumps for rental properties
Heat pump sizing
How the capacity figure is worked out for a room.
Read the heat pump sizing guide →
Heat pump installation cost
What an install involves and where prices start.
Read the heat pump installation cost guide →
Heat pumps in Riccarton
Heat pumps for Riccarton's older villas and flats.
See heat pumps in riccarton →Get a free heat pump quote
Free quotes, no obligation. We call or email you back the same working day. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
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