Healthy Homes Assessment Maymorn

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Maymorn rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

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

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

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

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Maymorn rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that a landlord with several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and make arrangements to have an house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Maymorn, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Maymorn rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Maymorn rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Maymorn

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within the home require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Maymorn

Maymorn rental properties need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Maymorn

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus do not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or Skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Maymorn

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is up to current standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and will also make much easier to the home to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 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 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Maymorn Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

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

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your 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 Maymorn

The areas of rental property that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standards in Maymorn include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Maymorn for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine during a home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.