Healthy Homes Inspection
Effective from 1 July 2021, private landlords must ensure their rental properties comply with the healthy homes standards within 90 days of any new, or renewed, tenancy.
Insulation
Both ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsary in all rental properties. Ceiling insulation must be at least 120mm thick, or the insulation’s R-value is 2.9 or above. Underfloor insulation must have an R-value of at least 1.3 when it was installed.
Heating
The heating standard requires landlords to provide one or more fixed heater(s) that can directly heat the main living room of every rental property. These must be acceptable types of heaters and must meet a required minimum heating capacity of 18˚C.
Ventilation
A rental property must have an extractor fan(s) in rooms with a bath, shower or indoor cooktop, and openable windows or external doors in the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms.
Extractor fan(s) must vent directly through an external wall or with appropriate ducting, and the openable windows must be at least 5% of the size of the room.
Draught stopping
Any unreasonable gaps or holes in walls, ceilings, windows, floors and doors that are not necessary and cause noticeable draughts must be blocked. Common areas include: door gap, window gap, hole on the floor, open fireplace etc.
Moisture ingress and drainage standard
Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall. The drainage system must include gutters, downpipes and drains for the removal of water from the roof.
If a home has a suspended floor (i.e., there is a cavity under the floor), and the subfloor space under the home is enclosed, then the home requires a ground moisture barrier.
Our property manager can conduct a thorough inspection of your property and provide you with an inspection report. We will discuss the report with you and help you to address issues identified.
If you would like a free consultation on the Healthy Homes Standards, talk to us and find out more today.