Healthy Homes Assessment Grenada Village

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Grenada Village rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of 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 connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified to assess both 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be 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 are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person 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 agreement is signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a home inspection performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Grenada Village, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Grenada Village rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and living due to diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping on Grenada Village rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Grenada Village

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within your home need sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as possible.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement of the structure when the household is heated and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will test every window and door during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Grenada Village

Rental properties in Grenada Village require a reliable source of heat that is able to heat the living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

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 required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the current fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat source, it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source, like an air conditioner, it might require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Grenada Village

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be more easy to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or skylight needs to be able open to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Grenada Village

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make an easier task to the home to hold heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Grenada Village Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water is able to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the property. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Grenada Village

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Grenada Village include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Grenada Village for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in the house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.