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 must make sure their Wallaceville 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 that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Wallaceville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Wallaceville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is who is letting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be correct when the tenancy contract is signed. It must be updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s crucial to remember that a landlord with multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and arrange to have an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Wallaceville, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Wallaceville rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Wallaceville rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wallaceville

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Wallaceville

Wallaceville rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that is able to heat the living space to at least 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it might require an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Wallaceville

Every living space in a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and do not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Wallaceville

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation meets this new standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to the household to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values required for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wallaceville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor 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 Wallaceville

Rental property areas affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Wallaceville include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wallaceville for Rental Properties

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

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.