Healthy Homes Assessment Wellington

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure that their Wellington rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information 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 breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are completely certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Wellington rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on the Wellington rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other 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, so it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an house assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

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

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report at least four major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Wellington rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping within Wellington rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wellington

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within households. A damp 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 or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap that is, it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the building when the household heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will test all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for healthy homes

Heating Wellington

Rental properties in Wellington require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during 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 wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat source, then it must include an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source such as an air conditioner, it could need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wellington

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dry air is more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Wellington

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make an easier task for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of 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 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wellington Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wellington

Property rental areas that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Wellington include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wellington for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.