Healthy Homes Assessment Wadestown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that 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 areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, we are completely qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is crucial to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment performed on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households rent homes in New Zealand and Wadestown, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Wadestown rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping on Wadestown rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Wadestown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A damp house costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap that is, it is probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your house need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will examine the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Wadestown

Wadestown rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that can warm the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump then it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it might just need an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wadestown

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one opening window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Wadestown

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and it will make it easier to the home to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

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

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

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble that can cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your flooring and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wadestown

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for when conducting an home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental property home assessment.