Healthy Homes Assessment Wilton

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Wilton rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for 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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Wilton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Wilton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present 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.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person letting the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is crucial to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an house inspection performed for your rental property.

Check out the complete details of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Wilton, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who report four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Wilton rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control within Wilton rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wilton

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from the home need the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will inspect every window and door in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Wilton

Wilton rental properties require a reliable heating source that is able to heat the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, 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 wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it should include the thermostat. This will make the 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 some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source like the heat pump, it might just need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Wilton

Every living space in a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, but remain at an open angle to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Wilton

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to allow the house to hold the heat.

Insulation needs 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 is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wilton Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wilton

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

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wilton for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check when conducting an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.