Ministry delays rules on too-hot homes

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Advocates for people living in overheating new builds are dismayed that officials will not consider comprehensive changes to fix the issue until 2031.

Residents of the glut of townhouses and apartments built in the last few years have repeatedly raised concerns about dangerous heat in their homes during summer , because of common design flaws .

The Building Research Association (BRANZ) and Green Building Council are among organisations advocating for changes to the Building Code, which currently does not include any controls on overheating or maximum internal temperatures.

However, Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment officials have confirmed they are working on the issue, but it would not be part of a regular code review in 2028, and instead would be considered during the subsequent review in 2031.