Healthy Homes Assessment Cannons Creek

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Cannons Creek 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 completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done and provide the report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are 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, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Cannons Creek rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Cannons Creek rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also crucial to note that landlords with multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and request an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Cannons Creek, and research shows us that these rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the standard of Cannons Creek rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Cannons Creek rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Cannons Creek Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Cannons Creek

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A humid home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing 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 somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the home need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the house is heated and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for well-being houses

Heating Cannons Creek

Cannons Creek rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the living room to at least 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to include the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, like a heat pump, then it may need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality as they are either costly, not affordable to run, or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Cannons Creek

Each liveable space in a rental house must include at least one open door or window to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Cannons Creek

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory for all rent homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make much easier to the home to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

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

Cannons Creek Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Cannons Creek

Rental property areas affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Cannons Creek include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Cannons Creek for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check in the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to book your rental property home evaluation.