Healthy Homes Assessment Island Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Island 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 in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks required. needs to be completed and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are fully qualified for 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, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on an Island Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Island Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

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

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and arrange to have an house assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Island Bay, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improve the standard of Island Bay rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping in Island Bay rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Island Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Island Bay

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A cold house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap, then it is most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from your home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the structure as the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Island Bay

Rental properties in Island Bay require a reliable heating source which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it might require an update to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Island Bay

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one openable window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising how dry air will be less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Island Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and also makes more easy to the household to retain warmth.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Island Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the inside it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Island Bay

The areas of rental property that are affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Island Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Island Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine when conducting a house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert advice, call today to book your rental property house assessment.