Healthy Homes Assessment Maungaraki

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 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 rentals are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed, and offer a report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified for both 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 contract is signed on a Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also important to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households homes in New Zealand and Maungaraki, and research indicates that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Maungaraki rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Maungaraki rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Maungaraki Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Maungaraki

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A humid house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

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 crack or a gap, then it is most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the house is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is important for well-being houses

Heating Maungaraki

Rental properties in Maungaraki must have a fixed heating source that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should be equipped with the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source, such as heat pumps, it might need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Maungaraki

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Maungaraki

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to allow the home to hold heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Maungaraki Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water, and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Maungaraki

Property rental areas that are affected through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Maungaraki include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Maungaraki for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine when conducting a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today and book your rental properties home evaluation.