Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Kaiwharawhara 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 covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting 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 correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research has shown that these rental homes tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Kaiwharawhara rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

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

Begin now by calling about receiving a Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out of the house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the house heats and cools, in order to let them be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Kaiwharawhara rental properties must have a fixed heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most 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 outlook.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it must have an thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it might just need an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Every living space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about understanding how dry air will be less difficult to heat and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation meets the new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes much easier to allow the household to retain warmth.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps in preventing 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 Kaiwharawhara

Property rental areas that are affected by Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Kaiwharawhara include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine when conducting an home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today and book your rental property house evaluation.