Healthy Homes Assessment Wadestown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas that are 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work that needs to be done and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is leasing the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who manage several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment performed on your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Wadestown, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Wadestown rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance over the long term.

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

Get started now and contact us about the Wadestown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within houses. A draughty home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your home need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the house warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Wadestown

Wadestown rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it should include a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as the heat pump, it could require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wadestown

Every living space of a rental house must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising that dry air is more easy to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight requirements to have the ability to open up to the outside, but remain closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Wadestown

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier to the house to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wadestown

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with The Healthy Homes Standards in Wadestown include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine in an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call today to book your rental property home assessment.