Healthy Homes Assessment Gracefield

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Gracefield rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to 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 can evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the work required. needs to be done, and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re fully qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is important to keep in mind that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and arrange to have a home assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Gracefield, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Gracefield rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control within Gracefield rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Gracefield

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in homes. A damp home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area requirements 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 and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being houses

Heating Gracefield

Rental properties in Gracefield need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat source, it requirements to be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it could need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Gracefield

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is more easy to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus don’t need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight needs at least open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Gracefield

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, as well as making an easier task to allow the house to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Gracefield Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Gracefield

Rental property areas affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Gracefield include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Gracefield for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over when conducting the home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house assessment.