Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which requirements to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

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

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to note that landlords with several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done for your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply 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 Hongoeka, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally are of lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more major issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Hongoeka rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Hongoeka rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home costs more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out into your house require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the building when the home is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will examine every window and door in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Rental properties in Hongoeka require a reliable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 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 as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it must have the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, like heat pumps, it may require a top up to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is all about acknowledging it is that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus do not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will require adequate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Hongoeka

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and it will make more easy to allow the household to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

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

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about the 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 Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for when conducting a home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.