Healthy Homes Assessment Lyall Bay

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 are now required to make sure their Lyall Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks that requirements to be completed, and provide the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Lyall Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Lyall Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or 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 the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords with multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Lyall Bay, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Lyall Bay rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Lyall Bay rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Lyall Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Lyall Bay

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of 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. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of your house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used 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 require to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools to allow them to be shut 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 regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important for well-being houses

Heating Lyall Bay

Rental properties in Lyall Bay require a reliable source of heating which can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested 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), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the current fix 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 mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it should have the thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it could need an update to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Lyall Bay

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one opening window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dry air will be easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need adequate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Lyall Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make an easier task to allow the household to keep the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Lyall Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Lyall Bay

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standard in Lyall Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Lyall Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for during an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today to book your rental property house evaluation.