Parliament has passed the government's Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill.

It means minimum standards can be set for heating, insulation, ventilation and moisture control in rented properties.

"Under our law, every rental property will have a modern hearting source, it will be effectively illegal for landlords to rent out properties that are a threat to the health of the people living in them," Housing Minister Phil Twyford said.

"It's not OK for a landlord to make hundreds of thousands of dollars by renting out a property that's a risk."

He said the bill was essential because most tenants didn't complain about cold, damp houses for fear of upsetting landlords and losing their homes.

The standards are expected to be set and enforced within 18 months.

National opposed the bill.

"The power to regulate exists right now," Nick Smith, who was in charge of building regulations in the previous government, said.

"The law already requires rental properties to be insulated, it already requires every rental property to be free of mould and damp."

Dr Smith said because the standards were still to be set, parliament had no idea what the government was actually proposing.

"This bill does diddly-squat," he said.

"It's as shallow as a bird bath."

The bill passed its third reading, its final stage, by 63 votes to 57.