Healthy Homes Assessment Lyall Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure that their Lyall Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks that requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified to evaluate 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Lyall Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also important to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe violations. Those who have more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Lyall Bay, and research indicates that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more major home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Lyall Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping within Lyall Bay rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Lyall Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Lyall Bay

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of the home need the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the house heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Lyall Bay

Rental properties in Lyall Bay must have a fixed heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it needs to have a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, like the heat pump, it may need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Lyall Bay

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

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

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Lyall Bay

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to the household to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Lyall Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Lyall Bay

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Lyall Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Lyall Bay for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over in a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

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