Healthy Homes Assessment Wadestown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Wadestown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. needs to be done and provide the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully certified to evaluate 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 or renewed tenancy is signed for a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days from being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to be aware that landlords who own several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the 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 Wadestown, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improve the quality of Wadestown rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Wadestown rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in households. A humid house will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap that is, it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out within the home require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the building as the home warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Wadestown

Wadestown rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it needs to include the thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wadestown

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising that dried air can be much easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or the skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside and remain closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Wadestown

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure the insulation meets this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier for the house to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 and 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

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

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wadestown

Property rental areas that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standard in Wadestown include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

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

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.