Healthy Homes Assessment Wadestown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Wadestown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. needs to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Wadestown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Wadestown, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Wadestown rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Wadestown rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Wadestown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wadestown

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for healthy homes

Heating Wadestown

Rental properties in Wadestown require a reliable source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must have an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it could require an upgrade to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Wadestown

Every living space in a rental house must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Wadestown

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory for all rent houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make more easy to allow the home to retain heat.

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

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

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wadestown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and to prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor 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 Wadestown

Property rental areas that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standards in Wadestown include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wadestown for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine during an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• 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 falling on the wrong side of an tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch today to book your rental properties house evaluation.