Healthy Homes Assessment Wadestown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Wadestown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

• Draught Stopping
• Heating
• Insulation
• Ventilation
• Moisture Ingress & Drainage

We will evaluate your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. needs to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they may be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is important to keep in mind that a landlord who own several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment done for your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Wadestown, and research has shown that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Wadestown rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Wadestown rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Wadestown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap or crack, then it is most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out of the house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will inspect all windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Wadestown

Wadestown rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as the heat pump, it could require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Wadestown

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about understanding that dry air will be more easy to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore don’t require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Wadestown

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes an easier task to the household to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wadestown

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Wadestown include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for in a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today and book your rental property home assessment.