Healthy Homes Assessment Waterloo

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Waterloo rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Waterloo rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on 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 period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty 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 landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home assessment done on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households homes in New Zealand and Waterloo, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the houses of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Waterloo rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Waterloo rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Waterloo Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waterloo

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out within your home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the house warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will inspect every window and door as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Waterloo

Waterloo rental properties require a reliable source of heating which can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require a top up to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Waterloo

Every living space of the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that dry air is less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Waterloo

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation meets this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task to the home to retain heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Waterloo Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

A ground moisture barrier is generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waterloo

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

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waterloo for Rental Properties

There are many things you should look for when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties house assessment.