Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure 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 are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and provide the report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord who manage several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who have reported four or more major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

The improvement in the quality of Hongoeka rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

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

Start now and call about the Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in homes. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap that is, it’s most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will examine every window and door during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Hongoeka

Hongoeka rental properties need to have a stable heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet 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 require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it might just require a top up to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside, but remain at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Hongoeka

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make it easier to the household to keep warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part 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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe 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 as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently what you don’t see that can become a big problem and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor 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

Property rental areas that are affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards 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 things to be able to examine in the home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties home assessment.