Healthy Homes Assessment Gracefield

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks required. requirements to be done, and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely certified to assess 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 on a Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to be aware that landlords who own several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the 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 now and make arrangements to have a home evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Gracefield, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Improve the quality of Gracefield rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illnesses. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control for Gracefield rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Gracefield Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Gracefield

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

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of the house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will check all doors and windows in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being homes

Heating Gracefield

Rental properties in Gracefield require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it must include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it might require some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Gracefield

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside and remain set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that vent to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Gracefield

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement for all rent homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation meets this new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make it easier to the house to hold heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Gracefield Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to 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 often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

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

A ground moisture barrier is generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Gracefield

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Gracefield for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check during a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.