Healthy Homes Assessment Glenside

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Glenside rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property 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 that requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’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 not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Glenside rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Glenside rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Glenside, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Glenside rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Glenside rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Glenside Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Glenside

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap, then it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within the house require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the household is heated and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will examine all doors and windows in the 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 Glenside

Glenside rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it must have the thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it may require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Glenside

Each living space within a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air will be easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus don’t need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside, but remain at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Glenside

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make an easier task for the household to keep heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Glenside Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Glenside

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Glenside 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 minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• 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 enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.