Healthy Homes Assessment Lower Hutt

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Lower Hutt rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely certified for each of 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, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Lower Hutt rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

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

It’s important to remember that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and request a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Lower Hutt, and research shows us that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the standard of Lower Hutt rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Lower Hutt rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Lower Hutt Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Lower Hutt

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a hole or gap that is, it’s most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out into the home need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the building when the home warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened rather than securing. We will test all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Lower Hutt

Lower Hutt rental properties need to have a stable heating source which can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Lower Hutt

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air will be less difficult to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and therefore do not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Lower Hutt

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and will also make more easy to allow the home to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area 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 (underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Lower Hutt Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building but you must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go, and also stop it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Lower Hutt

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Lower Hutt include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Lower Hutt for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over during the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an Tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house evaluation.