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 of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must 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 your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties we are 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 or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within 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 relate to the property they are living in. If the property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property 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 before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is crucial to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent from New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the standard of Hongoeka rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control in Hongoeka rental properties.

Start now and call 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 households. A draughty home costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit from the house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the building when the household heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will check the windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Rental properties in Hongoeka require a reliable heating source which can warm the living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is 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) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must have an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it may require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Hongoeka

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open 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 to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that dry air is more easy to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and are not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or the skylight needs to have the ability to open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Hongoeka

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and will also make it easier to the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Hongoeka include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check during a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property home assessment.