Healthy Homes Assessment Karori

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 make sure that their Karori rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely compliant by 1 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 check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Karori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Karori rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords with multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Karori, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Karori 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 is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping for Karori rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Karori Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karori

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap, then it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit of your house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the house heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Karori

Rental properties in Karori should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the largest or main 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 health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it could require an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karori

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising how dry air is easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation 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 standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Karori

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier to the household to hold warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 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 and 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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Karori Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually not apparent that it can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from entering the property. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Karori

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Karori include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karori for Rental Properties

There are many things you should look for during a home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.