Healthy Homes Assessment Heretaunga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Heretaunga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new 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 can evaluate your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. needs to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re 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, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Heretaunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Heretaunga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request an house assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households the property in New Zealand and Heretaunga, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Heretaunga rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Control within Heretaunga rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Heretaunga Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Heretaunga

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in homes. A damp house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of your house require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the household is heated and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Heretaunga

Rental properties in Heretaunga require a reliable source of heating which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require some additional energy to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Heretaunga

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs at least of opening to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Heretaunga

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and will also make an easier task to allow the household to hold the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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 the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Heretaunga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s often what you don’t see that can become a big problem that can cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water is able to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from getting into the building. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Heretaunga

Rental property areas affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Heretaunga include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Heretaunga for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to check when conducting a house review to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property home evaluation.