Healthy Homes Assessment Kilbirnie

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Kilbirnie rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be done and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely certified for each of 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kilbirnie rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be completed within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Kilbirnie rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person letting the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it is updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Kilbirnie, and research indicates that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the quality of Kilbirnie rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living due to illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Kilbirnie rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Kilbirnie Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kilbirnie

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out of your home require seals. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will inspect all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kilbirnie

Kilbirnie rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that can warm the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might need a top up to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either costly, not cost-effective to run, or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kilbirnie

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air will be easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight needs at least to open to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Kilbirnie

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement on 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, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and also makes it easier for the house to keep heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kilbirnie Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is typically what you don’t see that can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kilbirnie

Rental property areas affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Kilbirnie include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kilbirnie for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for in the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property home evaluation.