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 effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Clouston Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified to evaluate 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, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

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

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person liable for this fine is whoever 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 property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and request a home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Clouston Park, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Clouston Park rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living because of health issues. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, 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, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Clouston Park rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Clouston Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clouston Park

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in homes. A damp home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught out of a hole or gap that is, it is likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from your house need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building as the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will inspect the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Clouston Park

Clouston Park rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested 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) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it should have the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, like an air conditioner, it might just need a top up to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Clouston Park

Every living space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that dried air can be much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and are not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Clouston Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and also makes an easier task for the house to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area 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 (underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Clouston Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s health.

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

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clouston Park

Property rental areas that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Clouston Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clouston Park for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting the house review to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today and book your rental property home assessment.