Healthy Homes Assessment Aro Valley

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Aro Valley rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

• Draught Stopping
• Heating
• Insulation
• Ventilation
• Moisture Ingress & Drainage

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be completed, and offer the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for an Aro Valley rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Aro Valley rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s important to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and request a house assessment done on your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Aro Valley, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Aro Valley rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Aro Valley rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Aro Valley Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Aro Valley

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A draughty home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it’s probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for healthy houses

Heating Aro Valley

Rental properties in Aro Valley must have a fixed heating source that can heat the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source such as a heat pump, then it might just require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Aro Valley

Every living space in a rental property must include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising it is that dry air is much easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Aro Valley

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making much easier for the household to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Aro Valley Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from entering the property. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Aro Valley

Property rental areas that are affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Aro Valley include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Aro Valley for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check in an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house assessment.