Healthy Homes Assessment Maungaraki

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 make sure their Maungaraki rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully 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 assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is important to note that a landlord who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a house assessment done for your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Maungaraki, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Improve the standard of Maungaraki rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping on Maungaraki rental properties.

Start now and call about the Maungaraki Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Maungaraki

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A damp house costs more to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within the house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the building when the home is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Maungaraki

Rental properties in Maungaraki should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it might need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Maungaraki

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore don’t need an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Maungaraki

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets the new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier to the household to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Maungaraki Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building but you must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Maungaraki

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Maungaraki include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Maungaraki for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check during the home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental property home assessment.