Healthy Homes Assessment Wainuiomata

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Wainuiomata rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be completed and offer 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 violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Wainuiomata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Wainuiomata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Wainuiomata, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Wainuiomata rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control for Wainuiomata rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Wainuiomata Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Draught Stopping Wainuiomata

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap that is, it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out of your house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Heating Wainuiomata

Rental properties in Wainuiomata must have a fixed heating source that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most 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 and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it should be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like an air conditioner, it might need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wainuiomata

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that dry air is less difficult to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside, but remain at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

Insulation Wainuiomata

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

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

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Wainuiomata Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Rental Property Home Assessments Wainuiomata

The areas of rental property that are affected to the Healthy Homes Standard in Wainuiomata include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Home Assessments Wainuiomata for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during a home assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.