Healthy Homes Inspections

The healthy homes standards came into force on 1 July 2019 and introduce specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties.

Contact Enell Inspections today for a comprehensive Health Homes Inspection of your rental properties to determine what action if any are required to bring your properties upto the required standard before it is too late.

Examples of what is required include:

Heating

Landlords must provide one or more fixed heaters that can directly heat the main living room to a maintained temperature of at least 18 degrees Celsius.

Insulation

The healthy homes insulation standard builds on the current regulations and some existing insulation will need to be topped up or replaced.

Ventilation

Rental homes must have openable windows in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Kitchens and bathrooms must have extractor fans.

Moisture ingress and drainage

Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water. Rental properties with an enclosed sub-floor space must have a ground moisture barrier.

Draughts

Landlords must make sure the property doesn’t have unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, skylights, floors and doors which cause noticeable draughts. All unused open fireplaces must be closed off or their chimneys blocked to prevent draughts.

People in NZ spend about 70% of their lives inside their home, and almost 20% in a school or other commercial building. These numbers suggest that the condition of the home is a primary factor in a person’s overall health. If your home has problems, your health may be suffering, too.

Poor housing conditions also include:

a dilapidated exterior;
structural problems;
pests;
flaking paint;

These conditions are all associated with a wide range of health issues, including injuries due to accidents, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, lead poisoning, and even cancer. The condition of a person’s housing is an important influence on their health.

Scientific evidence demonstrates a solid relationship between housing and human health. Studies on the economic burden of specific defects in homes show costs rising into the millions of dollars annually. Hazards associated with the home contribute to both poor health and the economic burdens on society at large.

The good news is that most home-based hazards are preventable. And it starts with getting your home inspected. A healthy home provides a safe and healthy environment for your family.

A healthy home is:

dry;
well ventilated;
well maintained; and
thermally controlled.

Substandard housing has long been associated with a wide range of health hazards, including respiratory infections, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health issues. In the 19th century, public health officials began to target poor sanitation, over-crowding, and inadequate ventilation to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases, as well as fire hazards.

Today, we use multiple strategies to maintain improved living conditions, such as developing and enforcing construction guidelines and codes, and advocating for safe and healthy housing that’s also energy-efficient. A healthy community starts with a healthy home, so contact Enell Inspections and ask for a Healthy Home Inspection today!

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