Healthy Homes Assessment Days Bay

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 their Days Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are covered by 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work which needs to be done, and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Days Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on the Days Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is important to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and request an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Days Bay, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Days Bay rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Control on Days Bay rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Days Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Days Bay

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A humid house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into your home need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will examine all doors and windows during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important for well-being homes

Heating Days Bay

Days Bay rental properties should have a permanent heating source that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump it should include an thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as heat pumps, it might just need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Days Bay

Each living space within a rental home must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dry air will be easier to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight needs at least of opening to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Days Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and also makes more easy to the home to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Days Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

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

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Days Bay

Property rental areas that are affected by Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Days Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Days Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting the home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.