Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Kingsley Heights rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely 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 and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide a report with all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever 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 property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s important to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, 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 of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who report four or more major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Kingsley Heights rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Kingsley Heights rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Kingsley Heights Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley Heights

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a crack or a gap and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within the home need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the structure as the home warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will test every window and door as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley Heights

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

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Every living space of a rental house must have at least one openable doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that dried air can be easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight needs at least to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Kingsley Heights

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets the new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to the house to retain heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is usually what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley Heights

Rental property areas affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Kingsley Heights include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental properties home evaluation.