Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely 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 the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and provide the report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re completely certified for 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised 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 home they are living in. If the property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease 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 up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is also important to be aware that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an house evaluation performed for your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Highbury, and research shows us that these rental homes tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Highbury rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living due to health issues. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping in Highbury rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from your home require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will check the windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for healthy homes

Heating Highbury

Rental properties in Highbury need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it requirements to have a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it could require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Highbury

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside while remaining closed to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Highbury

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, as well as making it easier to the household to hold the heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

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

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

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem, causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to remove 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 an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from entering the home. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over in the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

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