Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Ascot Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to 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 will evaluate your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be done, and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully qualified 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed contract 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 all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information 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 getting the notice, the tenant will be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be maintained through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and arrange to have an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research shows us that these rental houses are likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Ascot Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Ascot Park rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A cold home will cost more 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, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap that is, it is likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from your home require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the building as the home heats and cools, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check all doors and windows as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Ascot Park

Rental properties in Ascot Park require a reliable source of heat that can heat the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of 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 sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it needs to include the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it may need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air is easier to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and are not require an opening window or door.

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

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Ascot Park

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier for the house to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of 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, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Ascot Park

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Ascot Park include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over in the house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property home assessment.