Healthy Homes Assessment Grenada Village

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Grenada Village rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

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

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

We can assess the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. needs to be completed, and provide the report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’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 any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

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

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a home evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Grenada Village, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who report four or more major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Grenada Village rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control in Grenada Village rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Grenada Village Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Grenada Village

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A draughty home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from your house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will check every window and door during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Grenada Village

Rental properties in Grenada Village must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could need an upgrade to make sure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Grenada Village

Every living space in a rental house must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that dry air is much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans that vent towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Grenada Village

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and will also make more easy for the household to keep the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Grenada Village Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Grenada Village

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Grenada Village include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Grenada Village for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to check during the house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenant services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home evaluation.