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? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Wadestown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely certified to assess 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request 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 required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and is updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that a landlord who have several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and arrange to have a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Wadestown, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Wadestown rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping in Wadestown rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out from your house require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the building as the household heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will inspect every window and door in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Wadestown

Rental properties in Wadestown require a reliable source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, such as the heat pump, it could need 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 costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Wadestown

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, but remain at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Wadestown

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make more easy to the home to keep warmth.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and stop it from coming into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem that can cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from entering the property. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor 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 by the Healthy Homes Standard in Wadestown include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check when conducting an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call today to book your rental property house assessment.