Healthy Homes Assessment Clouston Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Clouston Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed 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 assess 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 of the work that needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, we are completely qualified for 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and request a home inspection performed on your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Clouston Park, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who experience four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Clouston Park rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Clouston Park rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clouston Park

Draughts can lead to less temperature in houses. A damp home will cost more to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the home need the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the household is heated and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will test the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Clouston Park

Rental properties in Clouston Park should have a permanent heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it might need a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard as they are either costly, not cost-effective to run, or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Clouston Park

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one opening window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dry air will be easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Clouston Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure the insulation meets the new standard. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and also makes more easy to allow the house to hold the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of the 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

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

Clouston Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

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

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clouston Park

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Clouston Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clouston Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check in the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.