Healthy Homes Assessment Houghton Bay

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? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Houghton Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

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

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified to evaluate 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 on a Houghton Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest 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 the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request an house assessment performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Houghton Bay, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Houghton Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of illnesses. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping on Houghton Bay rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Houghton Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Houghton Bay

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside households. A cold home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it requirements 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 hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your home need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

There is no need to cover up gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the household warms and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine every window and door as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Houghton Bay

Rental properties in Houghton Bay must have a fixed heating source which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it may require some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Houghton Bay

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one openable doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about understanding that dried air can be less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

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

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Houghton Bay

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure the insulation meets this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make much easier to the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Houghton Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also helps to prevent any damage to your 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 Houghton Bay

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Houghton Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Houghton Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over when conducting the home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property home assessment.