Healthy Homes Assessment Wairoa

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Wairoa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 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 and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks that requirements to be done and offer the report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Wairoa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Wairoa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

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

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that a landlord who have several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and arrange to have a house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Wairoa, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Wairoa rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Wairoa rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Wairoa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Wairoa

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A humid home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap, then it’s most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the home need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the household warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

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

Heating Wairoa

Wairoa rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it must have an thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Wairoa

Every living space of a rental home must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging it is that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside, but remain closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Wairoa

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make an easier task to the household to keep heat.

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

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

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

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Wairoa Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property 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 to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when 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 in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor 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 Wairoa

Rental property areas affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Wairoa include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Wairoa for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for when conducting the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenant solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice, call now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.