A house rental Warrant of Fitness (WoF) study is being undertaken in Dunedin and Wellington this year, with Invercargill being used as a comparative location.

The University of Otago, Wellington's He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme has received funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to study the effects of introducing a rental housing WoF.

A WoF for rentals would include minimum standards that would need to be met for things including heating, ventilation and safety.

Invercargill and Lower Hutt will be used as "control" cities for the WoF study. Effects on the rental market and tenant health in Dunedin and Wellington would be compared with Invercargill and Lower Hutt.

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University of Otago, Wellington senior research fellow Lucy Telfar Barnard said it was hoped to introduce a WoF for rental properties in Dunedin and Wellington this year. She said Invercargill was being used as a control city because of its similarity to Dunedin.

"The main reason is it's got a comparable climate," she said.

Both areas also had a large number of students renting property, she said.

"Dunedin had the University of Otago, Invercargill has SIT."

Specific details of how data from Dunedin would be compared to Invercargill were still being finalised.

As part of the WoF, adequate heating would be required in living areas, flooring and ceilings would need to be insulated, kitchens and bathrooms would need to be ventilated, among other requirements.

"Tenants don't have the same degree of control as landlords do," Telfar Barnard said.

"Tenants include our most vulnerable population. Low-income children are far more likely to live in rental housing than other children. The people who have the most need of warm, dry homes are the ones most likely to live in rental accommodation. People continue to get sick from their homes."

She said one of the biggest issues was cold, damp homes in which mould could thrive.

"Mould happens when you don't have adequate heating and insulation," she said.

"Insulation and heating have positive health outcomes. We've done what we've done because we want New Zealand housing to be better."

The WoF study comes amid several changes to rental laws.

In July 2015, Housing Minister Nick Smith announced that landlords must provide floor and ceiling insulation in all tenanted properties in New Zealand by mid-2019, and in social housing receiving government subsidies by July this year.

Telfar Barnard said the announcement was a positive development, but more could be done.

"It's a good start, but it's not all that's required to make homes warm and dry."

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said another issue was landlords that didn't always live near rental properties.

"We've got a lot of absentee landlords in the city," he said.

"If the house is falling down, then who's responsible? There's not a lot the council can do under the present legislation. The only area we've got a little power is under the Health Act."

Sub-standard housing was a problem, Shadbolt said.

"We've got the most affordable houses in New Zealand, but that's because many of them are run-down.," he said.

"We don't want things to run down into a slum."

In May 2015, the nationwide HRV State of Home survey found 26 per cent of Kiwis had moved in the previous 12 months because of damp, cold and mouldy homes. The survey also found 82 per cent of homes were too damp.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), homes should be heated to between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius indoors.

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Ben Mack: @benaroundearth