Healthy Homes Assessment Wainuiomata

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Wainuiomata rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

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

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work required. needs to be completed, and provide the report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Wainuiomata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Wainuiomata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Wainuiomata, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Wainuiomata rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

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

Start now and call about having a Wainuiomata Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wainuiomata

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A cold house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap that is, it is most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within your house need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as far as imaginable.

There is no require to block gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test all windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Wainuiomata

Rental properties in Wainuiomata should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the living space to a minimum of 18degC, 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 as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 horsepower in 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 fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as a heat pump, then it might just need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Wainuiomata

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus don’t require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside and remain fixed in an open position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Wainuiomata

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, as well as making it easier to allow the home to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wainuiomata Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wainuiomata

The areas of rental property that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Wainuiomata include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wainuiomata for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine when conducting a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental properties home evaluation.