Healthy Homes Assessment Karaka Bays

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 ensure that their Karaka Bays rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely certified 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 assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be done, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are completely qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that landlords with multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a home assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Karaka Bays, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who experience at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Karaka Bays rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Karaka Bays rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karaka Bays

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out into your house require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the structure as the home is heated and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will check the windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Karaka Bays

Karaka Bays rental properties require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it should include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it could need an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karaka Bays

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of 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 do not require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or skylight needs at least to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Karaka Bays

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to the household to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the 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 below floor R 1.3

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

Karaka Bays Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often not apparent that it could become a major issue, causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Karaka Bays

Rental property areas affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Karaka Bays include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karaka Bays for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over during an house review to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today to book your rental properties house assessment.