Healthy Homes Assessment Houghton Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must make sure their Houghton Bay 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 must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

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

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified 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, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Houghton Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Houghton Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the lease contract as the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved 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 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and arrange to have an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

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

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Houghton Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Houghton Bay rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Houghton Bay

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A humid house will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out into your home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the house warms and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Houghton Bay

Rental properties in Houghton Bay should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently 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 could be used to check if the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must have a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it may need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Houghton Bay

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms 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 window, door , or skylight needs to have the ability to open to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems that vent to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Houghton Bay

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes an easier task to the household to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• 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 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.

Houghton Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and cause the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the building. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Houghton Bay

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Houghton Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Houghton Bay for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for in an home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenant services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today to book your rental properties house evaluation.