As a landlord, ensuring that your property is dry and well-heated is a must. By law, you’re only required to provide a certain amount of heating to keep tenants comfortable; however, taking the following few additional steps can save you a lot of maintenance in the long run.
Heating the house
Under the Housing Improvement Regulations of 1947, landlords are not
required to heat every room in a property, but you do have to provide some form
of heating in any living room. In cases where the local council does not have a
list of approved forms of heating, the Tenancy Tribunal may consider this
requirement met if you simply provide an inexpensive plug-in heater.
Because
Auckland Council does not maintain a list, equipping a living room with plenty
of power points for plugging in heaters may be good enough. But for more
thorough heating, it’s worth paying a bit more upfront for a fixed heater with
lower running costs and better heat output than a plug-in one. This could be a
modern wood or wood pellet burner, an energy efficient heat pump, or a four
star-qualified flued gas heater. Avoid unflued gas heaters, both portable and with pipes
fixed to the wall because these can release moisture and toxic fumes. I also recommend avoiding
open fires, which are draughty and inefficient.
Stopping draughts
The World Health Organisation recommends that homes be
heated to at least 18 degrees. Draughts make this much harder to achieve. Block
draughts by:
- Tightening
hinges, catches and latches. If they don’t fit snugly in their frames, get
them repaired by a qualified builder or aluminium specialist.
- Adding weather
stripping to seal gaps around doors and windows. Check which types to use
at your hardware store.
- Sealing doors
and window trims with clear or paintable sealant.
- Fitting draft
excluders to gaps under doors. Use brush strip draft excluders for
internal doors, and spring-loaded automatic ones for external doors.
- Replacing any
damaged rubber seals around aluminium joinery.
Removing steam
Inadequate ventilation can contribute to dampness and mould
growth, which is why it’s essential to get it right. When houses are airtight, they become easier
to heat, but good ventilation is still needed to prevent the air inside the
house from getting stale and damp. In addition to keeping the home at or above
18 degrees, you should be aiming to keep the indoor humidity below 65%.
Extractor fans are a great way to remove steam and reduce
humidity. They should be fitted in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, and
should vent to the outside, not into the ceiling space. Make sure that your
extractor fans are properly sized and located for the room. Undersized fans
or ducting will be both noisy and ineffective. Ask your supplier for advice.
Remind tenants to turn the extractor fan on before having a
shower or bath, and to shut the bathroom door. Leaving the bathroom window
slightly open allows air to flow in and will improve the fan’s effectiveness.
After showering or bathing, ask them to leave the fan on, the window open and
the door closed for a few more minutes. Another way to beat a damp bathroom is
to install a shower dome, which prevents steam and water from
escaping the shower booth.
Insulation
From 1 July 2019, ceiling
and underfloor insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes where it is
reasonably practicable to install. If you property doesn’t yet meet the
requirements we recommend that you don’t delay. As the deadline approaches, demand is likely to exceed capacity and the cost of installation is likely to
increase.
Ratepayers who want to improve their heating and/or
insulation can borrow up to $5,000 (including GST) through Auckland Council’s Retrofit Your Home program.
The financial assistance is
repaid with interest over nine years, through a targeted rate on your property
rates. You or your tenant can also borrow a free HEAT kit through Auckland Libraries. HEAT kits
contain tools to measure your property’s energy use and find ways to improve
it.