Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Kingsley Heights 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 conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work that requirements to be done, and provide a report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under 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 $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully qualified for 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 brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to note that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who have reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Kingsley Heights rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living because of illness. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control for Kingsley Heights rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley Heights

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your home need sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be opened and closed rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley Heights

Rental properties in Kingsley Heights must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the largest or main living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it could require an update in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that dried air can be more easy to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore don’t require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent 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 of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Kingsley Heights

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure 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 subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make much easier to allow the household to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

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, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part of 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

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s frequently what you don’t see that could become a major issue that can cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the property. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley Heights

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by the Healthy Homes Standard in Kingsley Heights include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

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

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today and book your rental properties home assessment.