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 now have to make sure their Birchville rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely 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 and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work required. needs to be done and offer the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be completed inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is important to remember that landlords who have several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Birchville, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating, and generally are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Improving the quality of Birchville rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping in Birchville rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Birchville

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A cold house is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from your home require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine all doors and windows in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Birchville

Birchville rental properties need to have a stable heating source that is able to heat the main or largest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the 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 are not considered to be acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it may need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the standard as they are either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Birchville

Each liveable space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air will be less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or Skylight needs at least to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Birchville

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make it easier for the household to retain heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Birchville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often what you don’t see that could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the property. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Birchville

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Birchville include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Birchville for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check in a house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient 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 lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenant solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental property home evaluation.