Healthy Homes Assessment Brooklyn

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Brooklyn rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas 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 requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks required. requirements to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified to assess both 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, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Brooklyn rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished inside of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a 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 identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Brooklyn, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the standard of Brooklyn rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and living due to illness. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Brooklyn rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Brooklyn

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out from your house require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent possible.

There is no need to block gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the house heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will test all doors and windows during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Brooklyn

Rental properties in Brooklyn must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it needs to include the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it could require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Brooklyn

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one openable door or window to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is more easy to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus do not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Brooklyn

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task to the house to keep warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Brooklyn Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually not apparent that it can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the property. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Brooklyn

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Brooklyn include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Brooklyn for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over when conducting a house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today and book your rental property house evaluation.