Healthy Homes Assessment Wellington Central

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Wellington Central rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work which needs to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Wellington Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Wellington Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to remember that a landlord with several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have an house evaluation performed on 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 the property in New Zealand and Wellington Central, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the homes of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Wellington Central rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Wellington Central rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wellington Central

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A humid house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from your house require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building as the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine the windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Wellington Central

Wellington Central rental properties should have a permanent heating source which can warm the living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it might need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Wellington Central

Every living space in a rental house must have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be more easy to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Wellington Central

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, as well as making an easier task to allow the house to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wellington Central Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically what you don’t see that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wellington Central

Property rental areas that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Wellington Central include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wellington Central for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check in an house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home evaluation.