Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully 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 can evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that needs to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for 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 $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties we are completely certified to evaluate 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, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when 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 adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty up to $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed. It must be updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords with multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Highbury, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Highbury rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Highbury rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Highbury Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the household is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will check all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Highbury

Highbury rental properties need to have a stable source of heat that can warm the living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it needs to have the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it may need an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Highbury

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dried air can be much easier to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Highbury

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to the household to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

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

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

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

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often what you don’t see that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Highbury include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in a home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.