Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Ascot Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and offer a report with all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

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

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and request an house assessment performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report four or more major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Ascot Park rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Control within Ascot Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Ascot Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of the house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will examine every window and door as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Ascot Park

Ascot Park rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump it must have an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as the heat pump, it might require some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising that dry air will be more easy to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Ascot Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make more easy to the home to hold warmth.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist 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 remainder area of 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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

See the full 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 through the Healthy Homes Standard in Ascot Park include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in a home evaluation 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 covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there 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 on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.