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

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work which needs to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as 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

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Hongoeka rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Hongoeka rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out from the home require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather than securing. We will test the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Hongoeka rental properties must have a fixed heating source that can heat the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it might require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Hongoeka

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make more easy to allow the household to retain warmth.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater 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 of the 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Rental property areas affected to the Healthy Homes Standard in Hongoeka include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for during an house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.