Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Kaiwharawhara rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully 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 will assess the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done, and offer a report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be completed within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on the Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for severe breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment performed for your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improve the quality of Kaiwharawhara rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew 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 on Kaiwharawhara rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in houses. A cold house costs more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap, then it is most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from your home need the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the building as the home heats and cools, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check the windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being houses

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Kaiwharawhara rental properties should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the largest or main living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, then it must have an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it may need a top up to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Every living space of a rental house must have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus don’t require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside and remain set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will need proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, as well as making an easier task for the house to keep heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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

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

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently what you don’t see that could become a major issue, causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine in a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties house assessment.