About
Ventilation
Mould and dampness caused by poor ventilation is harmful for tenants’ health as well as landlords’ property. The ventilation standard targets mould and dampness in rental homes.
Landlords that don’t meet their obligations under the healthy homes standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. They may be liable for exemplary damages of up to $7,200.
What is the ventilation standard?
All habitable rooms in a rental property must have at least one window, door or skylight which opens to the outside and can be fixed in the open position.
In each room, the size of the openable windows, doors and skylights together must be at least 5% of the floor area of that room.
Each window door, window or skylight must be openable and must be able to remain fixed in an open position.
All kitchens and bathrooms must either have an extractor fan that vents air to the outside or a continuous mechanical ventilation that meets certain criteria.
Extractor fans
If you plan to meet the standard with extractor fans they must meet the following criteria:
Kitchens – In any room with a cooktop, new fans or rangehoods installed after 1 July 2019 must have a minimum diameter (including ducting) of 150mm or an exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second.
Bathrooms – In any room with a shower or bath, new fans installed after 1 July 2019 must have a minimum diameter (including ducting) of 120mm or an exhaust capacity of at least 25 litres per second.
Landlords should ask installers for the details of the fan diameters, ducting and flowrate in writing, so they can show they are compliant with the healthy homes ventilation standard.
Contact us today if you need help to:
check if your property meets the ventilation requirements
duct existing rangehood or exhaust fan out
install a new rangehood or exhaust fan
replace existing rangehood or exhaust fan
Drainage & Guttering
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.
The drainage system must ensure the rental home, including the land that it sits on, is not subject to periodic flooding during or after normal rain. When assessing your property to see if it complies, look for damage to your existing drainage systems or any need for maintenance to keep it all working properly.
An appropriate outfall will generally be the storm water system provided by your local council. However, an appropriate outfall may also be a properly working soakage system, natural watercourse, adequate water storage system or other constructed water way. Internal gutters can be a particular risk for leaks and overflow if they are not properly maintained. Keep them clear of leaves and debris and check for damage or corrosion.
Remember it is the landlord’s obligation to maintain the gutters, downpipes and drains in a reasonable state of repair, and this includes cleaning out leaves and debris as needed.
Landlords that don’t meet their obligations under the healthy homes standards are in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. They may be liable for exemplary damages of up to $7,200.
Contact us today if you need help to:
check your guttering & drainage
clean the gutter
repair leaks
install gully grate
modify or replace existing guttering system.