Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st 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 satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that 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 of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Highbury, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally are of lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Highbury rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Highbury rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into the home need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the structure as the house warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect every window and door in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Highbury

Rental properties in Highbury require a reliable source of heating that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it should have a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it could require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Highbury

Each liveable space in a rental home must have at least one opening doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that dry air will be more easy to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside, but remain closed to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require adequate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Highbury

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making much easier to allow the house to retain the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands 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 – The rest area 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

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps to 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

The areas of rental property that are affected to Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Highbury include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house 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 on the wrong side of the tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.