Healthy Homes Assessment Crofton Downs

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Crofton Downs rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Crofton Downs rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Crofton Downs rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and arrange to have an house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Crofton Downs, and research shows us that these rental homes tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who have reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Crofton Downs rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Crofton Downs rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Crofton Downs Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Crofton Downs

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from your home require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the building when the house warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Crofton Downs

Rental properties in Crofton Downs require a reliable source of heat that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it should include an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it might just require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Crofton Downs

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

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

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Crofton Downs

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier to allow the household to retain warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Crofton Downs Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Crofton Downs

The areas of rental property that are affected through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Crofton Downs include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Crofton Downs for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check during the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and 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 falling on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.