Healthy Homes Assessment Waterloo

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 ensure that their Waterloo rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks which requirements to be done and offer a report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Waterloo rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Waterloo rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s also important to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and arrange to have an house assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Waterloo, and research suggests that rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Waterloo rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Control within Waterloo rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Waterloo Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waterloo

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the house require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will check all windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Waterloo

Rental properties in Waterloo need to have a stable heating source that can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it could require an upgrade 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.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Waterloo

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Waterloo

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation meets this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and also makes it easier to allow the house to hold heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• 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 floor R 1.3
• Zone 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.

Waterloo Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually not apparent that it could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the property. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waterloo

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Waterloo include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waterloo for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine when conducting an home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental property house assessment.