Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Kaiwharawhara 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 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 can evaluate the rental property you have in order 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 the tasks which requirements to be done and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as 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 a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be finished within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request a home inspection performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Enhancing the standard of Kaiwharawhara rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as 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 are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A cold home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it is likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out from your home need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will examine all windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Rental properties in Kaiwharawhara need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it might just require an update to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Every living space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air is easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing 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 are not require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or skylight requirements to have the ability to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to current quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and will also make much easier to allow the household to retain the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

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

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor 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 through The Healthy Homes Standards in Kaiwharawhara include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

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

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property home assessment.