Healthy Homes Assessment Brooklyn

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Brooklyn 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 fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as 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

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Brooklyn rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Brooklyn rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement 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 renting the property which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that landlords with several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an house assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households rent the property in New Zealand and Brooklyn, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the standard of Brooklyn rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Brooklyn rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Brooklyn

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole 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 within your house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for the movement of the structure as the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine all doors and windows in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Brooklyn

Rental properties in Brooklyn require a reliable source of heating which can warm the living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide 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 houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it could need an upgrade to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Brooklyn

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and are not need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, but remain closed to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans that vent to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Brooklyn

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure the insulation meets the new standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and will also make more easy to the home to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Brooklyn Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go, and it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Brooklyn

Rental property areas affected by Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Brooklyn include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Brooklyn for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental property house evaluation.