Healthy Homes Assessment Kingston

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Kingston rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. requirements to be completed, and offer a report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’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 landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kingston rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be done by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Kingston rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Kingston, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

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

Improving the standard of Kingston rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long run.

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

Contact us now to discuss the Kingston Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Draught Stopping Kingston

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in households. A humid house costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap, then it is likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out within your home need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the building when the home gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect every window and door in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Heating Kingston

Kingston rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that can heat the living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump it must have a thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it might just require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kingston

Each living space within a rental house must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore don’t need an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements to have the ability to open up to the outside while remaining closed, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

Insulation Kingston

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making an easier task to the house to keep 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 gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingston Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have efficient drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingston

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Kingston include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Home Assessments Kingston for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine during a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home assessment.