Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Kingsley Heights rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that needs 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 to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully qualified to assess 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is executed, and it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is important to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an home assessment performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Kingsley Heights rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Kingsley Heights rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Kingsley Heights Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley Heights

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A cold house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit of the home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the building when the home is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Kingsley Heights

Rental properties in Kingsley Heights require a reliable heating source that is able to heat the living room to at least 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it should include a thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it might just require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard because they’re costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Each living space within the rental property should contain at minimum one open 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.

The ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be much easier to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Kingsley Heights

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, as well as making it easier for the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder area 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 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley Heights

Rental property areas affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Kingsley Heights include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check in a house review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call now and schedule your rental property home assessment.