Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by 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’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be completed and provide a report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified to assess each of 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to be aware that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for severe breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the houses of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the standard of Hongoeka rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Hongoeka rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A cold home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will check every window and door as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important for healthy houses

Heating Hongoeka

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

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like heat pumps, it might just need an upgrade to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising the fact that dry air is easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or skylight needs at least to open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. We offer a 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 the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Hongoeka

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, as well as making it easier to allow the house to keep heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Property rental areas that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Hongoeka include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check when conducting a house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property home assessment.