Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must make sure 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 must be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas 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’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and provide the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done by the end 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 taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to remember that a landlord with multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and request a home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Ascot Park rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health as well as lessen disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control within Ascot Park rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Ascot Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or a clear draught from a hole or gap that is, it is likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from the house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the home warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Ascot Park

Rental properties in Ascot Park require a reliable source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it might require a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space of the rental property should include at least one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising that dry air will be easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

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

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Ascot Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to allow the household to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue that can cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the property. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Ascot Park

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over when conducting the house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties home assessment.