Healthy Homes Assessment Birchville

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed and provide the report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified to evaluate 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant could be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Birchville, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Additionally, those who experience at least four key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Birchville rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs 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 in Birchville rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Birchville Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Birchville

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out into the home require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

You don’t need to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the structure when the household is heated and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will test every window and door during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Birchville

Rental properties in Birchville require a reliable heating source that is able to heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 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 and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat pump then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it could require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Birchville

Every living space of a rental house must include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

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

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Birchville

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task to the household to keep the heat.

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

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

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

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

Birchville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor 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 Birchville

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

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Birchville for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today and book your rental property home evaluation.