Healthy Homes Assessment Waiwhetu

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess 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 work which needs 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 meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties and are fully certified 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, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Waiwhetu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Waiwhetu rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s important to remember that landlords who own several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a house assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Waiwhetu, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report at least four key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Waiwhetu rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruptions to their work, education and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Waiwhetu rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Waiwhetu Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waiwhetu

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out of the house require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as possible.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the structure as the household warms and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Waiwhetu

Rental properties in Waiwhetu should have a permanent source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat source, it needs to have an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it may need an update in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Waiwhetu

Every living space of a rental property has to include at least one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding that dried air can be much easier to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and do not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Waiwhetu

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make much easier to allow the home to keep heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with 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 higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of the 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Waiwhetu Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the inside but you must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s frequently not apparent that it could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waiwhetu

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Waiwhetu include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waiwhetu for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.