Healthy Homes Assessment Wellington Central

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Wellington Central rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work which requirements to be completed, and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties we are fully certified to assess each of 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 tenancy is signed on a Wellington Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Wellington Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords with several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and arrange to have an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Wellington Central, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who have reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Wellington Central rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Wellington Central rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Wellington Central Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wellington Central

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within your house need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building as the household is heated and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for healthy homes

Heating Wellington Central

Wellington Central rental properties need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it may need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wellington Central

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dry air is more easy to heat and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside and remain closed to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Wellington Central

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation meets the new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes it easier for the household to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• 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 the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Wellington Central Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem, causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wellington Central

Rental property areas affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Wellington Central include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wellington Central for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to be able to examine when conducting an home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.