Healthy Homes Assessment Birchville

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Birchville 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 that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks required. needs to be done and provide a report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on the Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord who own several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Birchville, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Birchville rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control on Birchville rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Birchville Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Birchville

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out of your home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Birchville

Rental properties in Birchville require a reliable source of heat which can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could need a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality as they are either costly, not affordable to run, or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Birchville

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dry air is much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Birchville

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to the household to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Birchville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from entering the property. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Birchville

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through the Healthy Homes Standards in Birchville include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Birchville for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to be able to examine during a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental property home evaluation.