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Hot Homes, Cold Comfort: Why NZ Townhouses Are Overheating
- Bill Zhao
- Nov 28, 2025
- 2 min read
With the past five years being some of New Zealand’s hottest ever, it is expected that rising temperatures will be something that kiwis continually face, especially in our sun-drenched summers. The problem has become so prevalent that it’s taken away the comfort of our abodes that we so often use as a retreat. Having a home that can shelter us from the heat is more important than ever.
What’s Happening?
With the increased push for denser housing developments, many residents have taken a shine to terraced homes and townhouses. While they offer appealing prices, locations, and modern amenities, one of the most common complaints is the sweltering conditions they face in summer. Not only does this mean stuffy, sweaty nights, but also a lighter wallet from increase power usage. With many newly built homes facing these conditions, Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced an increased focus on preventing overheating in multi-storey dwellings for the next Building Code review.
So Why Are Townhouses Overheating?
While many modern townhouses are built with New Zealand conditions expressly in mind, the priority has leaned towards insulation, and sunlight exposure. Shade and ventilation, which are crucial for summertime cooling, have often come secondary to trapping heat. The upper floors of medium density homes, especially those with few windows and tight layouts, are almost unbearable at peak temperatures. Many of these homes share walls or have tight spacing. This can undermine proper ventilation since there are fewer opportunities for windows, and their effectiveness is reduced.
What Are the Implications of this?
The rising number of townhouses, combined with ever-increasing peak temperatures, means that more residents are suffering. With only so many ways of cooling down in summer, many resort to air conditioning to see them through. Affecting more than just their wallet, this has wider implications such as reduced sleep quality, health concerns, and stress for New Zealand’s power grids. Renovating your home simply to curb these issues can also be incredibly taxing.
So What’s Next?
With nothing in the Building Code to stop these thermally afflicted designs, discussion of this is to be expected at the next code review. One of the best ways to tackle the issue before it manifests is to implement cooler changes during the design stage. Limiting west-facing bedrooms, allowances for external shading, and increasing ventilation pathways are just some of the ways these buildings can be built cooler.
If you’re currently faced with overheating rooms, try some of our summer cooling tips. Or, if you’re currently eyeing a medium density home, take a look at how it performs in hot days. Regardless, we can likely expect more thermally performant houses to prop up over time, especially as New Zealand faces increasingly hotter years.
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