Healthy Homes Assessment Breaker Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Breaker Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to 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 assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work that needs to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully 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 tenancy is signed for a Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be completed by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to remember that a landlord with several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Breaker Bay, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Improving the quality of Breaker Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Breaker Bay rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Breaker Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Breaker Bay

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in households. A damp home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of your house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure as the house is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Breaker Bay

Breaker Bay rental properties require a reliable heating source which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, like a heat pump, then it might just need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Breaker Bay

Every living space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or the skylight requirements to be able open to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that vent to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Breaker Bay

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required for all rent houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and will also make it easier to allow the household to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Breaker Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Breaker Bay

Property rental areas that are affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Breaker Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Breaker Bay for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for when conducting the home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.