Healthy Homes Assessment Woodridge

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Woodridge rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully certified 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 assess your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work which needs to be done and offer a report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, we are fully qualified to evaluate both 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, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Woodridge rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Woodridge rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Woodridge, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Woodridge rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Woodridge rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Woodridge Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Woodridge

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole or crack, then it is likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out within the home require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement of the building as the house warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Woodridge

Woodridge rental properties require a reliable heating source that is able to heat the living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must have the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it could need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Woodridge

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

A ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dry air is much easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or Skylight needs at least open to the outside, and stay closed, allowing ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Woodridge

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

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and it will make it easier to allow the household to keep heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Woodridge Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps in preventing 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 Woodridge

The areas of rental property that are affected by Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Woodridge include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Woodridge for Rental Properties

There are many things to check in an home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.