Healthy Homes Assessment Kilbirnie

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Kilbirnie rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully 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 evaluate your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be completed and provide the report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely certified to evaluate both 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, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Kilbirnie rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be completed inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Kilbirnie rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also crucial to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Kilbirnie, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Kilbirnie rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower 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 for Kilbirnie rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Kilbirnie Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kilbirnie

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside homes. A damp house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kilbirnie

Kilbirnie rental properties require a reliable heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

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

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it might need an update to make sure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kilbirnie

Every living space in the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising the fact that dried air can be easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus do not require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, but remain closed, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Kilbirnie

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and it will make more easy to allow the home to retain the heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of 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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kilbirnie Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kilbirnie

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Kilbirnie include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kilbirnie for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check when conducting the home review to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.