Healthy Homes Assessment Hataitai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Hataitai 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 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 your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $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 Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it is updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a 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

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Hataitai, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Hataitai rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping within Hataitai rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Hataitai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hataitai

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

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit into your home need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will check all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Hataitai

Rental properties in Hataitai must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it must include a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, like an air conditioner, it could need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hataitai

Each living space within a rental home must include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air is more easy to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or the skylight requirements to be able open to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Hataitai

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure the insulation meets current standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to the household to hold 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 resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hataitai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hataitai

The areas of rental property that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standard in Hataitai include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hataitai for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for when conducting a house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenant solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property house assessment.