Healthy Homes Assessment Karaka Bays

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 Karaka Bays rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the details required for 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 following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as 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 new or renewed contract is signed on a Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished inside of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have an house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households homes in New Zealand and Karaka Bays, and research has shown that these rental houses are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Karaka Bays rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance over 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 Draught stopping for Karaka Bays rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karaka Bays

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a gap or hole, then it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your home need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the home heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being homes

Heating Karaka Bays

Rental properties in Karaka Bays need to have a stable heating source that can warm the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it must be equipped with a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karaka Bays

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one openable window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and do not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Karaka Bays

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to allow the home to keep the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well 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, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Karaka Bays 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 ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring 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 Karaka Bays

Rental property areas affected by the Healthy Homes Standard in Karaka Bays include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karaka Bays for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over in the house review to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.