Healthy Homes Assessment Lyall Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

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 Lyall Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully 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 and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that needs to be completed, and provide the report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully qualified to assess both 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Lyall Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Lyall Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is also crucial to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Lyall Bay, and research shows us that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Lyall Bay rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance 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 Control in Lyall Bay rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Lyall Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Lyall Bay

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside homes. A damp house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the home require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for the movement of the building when the home warms and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will check all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important for well-being homes

Heating Lyall Bay

Rental properties in Lyall Bay must have a fixed heating source that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), then it must include the thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it might just need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Lyall Bay

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Lyall Bay

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make much easier for the house to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

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

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

Lyall Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s usually the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from entering the property. It also assists in preventing 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 Lyall Bay

Rental property areas affected by Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Lyall Bay include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Lyall Bay for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for when conducting a home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• 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 being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house assessment.