Healthy Homes Assessment Wallaceville

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the work which requirements to be completed and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Wallaceville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Wallaceville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is crucial to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Wallaceville, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Wallaceville rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Wallaceville rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Wallaceville Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wallaceville

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A humid house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap, then it’s likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within your house need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the household heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for well-being houses

Heating Wallaceville

Wallaceville rental properties need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it could require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, or unsafe to operate.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Wallaceville

Each living space within a rental house must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about understanding how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside while remaining closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your property with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. The 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.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Wallaceville

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and will also make more easy for the house to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wallaceville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Wallaceville

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standard in Wallaceville include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wallaceville for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for in an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation 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 sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property home assessment.