Healthy Homes Assessment Waterloo

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified to assess 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 Waterloo rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Waterloo rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that landlords with several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an house evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Waterloo, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

The improvement in the quality of Waterloo rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping in Waterloo rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Waterloo Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waterloo

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap, then it’s likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for the movement of the building as the home heats and cools, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will check all windows and doors as part of your 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 Waterloo

Waterloo rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it may require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Waterloo

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding that dry air will be more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements at least to open to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Waterloo

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and also makes more easy to allow the household to keep heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Waterloo Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from entering the property. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waterloo

The areas of rental property that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Waterloo include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waterloo for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check in the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property home assessment.