Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

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 must make sure their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be done, and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties we are fully qualified to evaluate 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 new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on the Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement 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 landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to be aware that landlords who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Hongoeka rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Hongoeka rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap that is, it’s most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out within your home need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the building when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Hongoeka

Hongoeka rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can heat the largest or main living space to at least 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW 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 determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include the thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it might just need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Hongoeka

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air will be less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or the skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Hongoeka

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is up to current quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and it will make more easy for the home to keep the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically what you don’t see that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent 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 Hongoeka

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

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to check when conducting an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.