Healthy Homes Assessment Homedale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Homedale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work which requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in 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 associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are fully qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Homedale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Homedale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy contract is executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords who manage several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Homedale, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Homedale rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught stopping for Homedale rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Homedale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Homedale

Draughts can lead to less temperature in homes. A cold home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your home need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the house is heated and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will inspect all windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for well-being houses

Heating Homedale

Homedale rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can heat the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump it should have the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source, like the heat pump, it might just need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the standard since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Homedale

Each living space within a rental house must have at least one opening doors or windows to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or the skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your house that houses shower, bath cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Homedale

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and will also make more easy for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Homedale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps prevent any damage to your 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 Homedale

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Homedale for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for in a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call today to schedule your rental property home evaluation.