Healthy Homes Assessment Homedale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Homedale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

• Draught Stopping
• Heating
• Insulation
• Ventilation
• Moisture Ingress & Drainage

We can assess the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified to evaluate both 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 brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Homedale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person 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 when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Homedale, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Homedale rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Homedale rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Homedale

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a crack or a gap, then it is likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house is heated and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check the 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.

Adequate heaters are important for healthy homes

Heating Homedale

Rental properties in Homedale must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during 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 well-being.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it requirements to have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it could require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Homedale

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air is more easy to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or Skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Homedale

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making more easy for the household to hold heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Homedale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Homedale

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to The Healthy Homes Standard in Homedale include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Homedale for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over when conducting an house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental property home evaluation.