Healthy Homes Assessment Hutt Central

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Hutt Central rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work which requirements to be completed and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are fully qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hutt Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Hutt Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a home assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Hutt Central, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Hutt Central rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Hutt Central rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Hutt Central Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hutt Central

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in households. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your home require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the building as the household warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test every window and door in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Hutt Central

Hutt Central rental properties need to have a stable source of heat that is able to heat the living room 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 source of heat requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it could require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Hutt Central

Every living space of a rental home must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or the skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Hutt Central

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory in all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and will also make an easier task to the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

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

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hutt Central Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including 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 making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the property. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hutt Central

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Hutt Central include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hutt Central for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.