Healthy Homes Assessment Epuni

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Epuni rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

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

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

We will assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be done, and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely certified to assess both 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 for an Epuni rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on the Epuni rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is executed, and it should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s also important to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Epuni, and research indicates that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Epuni rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Epuni rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Epuni Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Epuni

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A humid home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole that is, it is likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out within your house require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building as the household heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will test all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Epuni

Epuni rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source like an air conditioner, it may need an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Epuni

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one opening door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that dry air is much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or the skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside and remain at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Epuni

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, as well as making an easier task to the house to retain heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor 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 standard.

Epuni Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that 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.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Epuni

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Epuni for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for when conducting the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.