Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Ascot Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done and provide the report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that landlords with multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down only for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an home inspection performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Ascot Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living because of illness. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Ascot Park rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Ascot Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A draughty home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your house require seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will check the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Ascot Park

Rental properties in Ascot Park should have a permanent heating source which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must have the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it could need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space of a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising how dry air will be much easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Ascot Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure the insulation meets the new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and also makes much easier for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

• 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor 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 Ascot Park

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Ascot Park include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for when conducting an home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property home assessment.