Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Kaiwharawhara rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely compliant 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 your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be completed, and provide a report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re fully certified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested 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 as much as $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Kaiwharawhara rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control within Kaiwharawhara rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside homes. A damp home will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable 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 are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out of the home require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Kaiwharawhara rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, 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 health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it may require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Each living space within a rental home must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be more easy to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus do not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or Skylight needs at least to open to the outside and remain at an open angle to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets the new standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making much easier for the home to retain warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

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

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

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and also stop it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with the Healthy Homes Standards in Kaiwharawhara include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over in a house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental property house assessment.