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 are now required to ensure that their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work required. needs to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under 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 associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as 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

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

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down for severe breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property call us now and request a home assessment done on your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households rent homes in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Hongoeka rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

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

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in households. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as possible.

There is no need to block gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the building as the house warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Hongoeka

Rental properties in Hongoeka should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like an air conditioner, it might just need an update to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is easier to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or Skylight needs to be able open to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Hongoeka

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes much easier to allow the household to retain heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 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 moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete 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 through 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 a variety of things to check in a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property home assessment.