Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must 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 will evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and offer the report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties and are fully certified to evaluate each of 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

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

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to be aware that landlords with multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct an house assessment performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Highbury, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improve the standard of Highbury rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Highbury rental properties.

Start now and call about the Highbury Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

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

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap, then it is probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out into your house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the household is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Highbury

Highbury rental properties require a reliable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current permanent 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 like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it may require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, or unsafe to operate.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Highbury

Each living space within a rental home must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

A ventilation standard is all about understanding how dry air is much easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore don’t need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Highbury

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making much easier to the house to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect 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 floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to The Healthy Homes Standards in Highbury include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for when conducting the house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.