Healthy Homes Assessment Melling

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 must ensure that their Melling rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as 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

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Melling rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Melling rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is completed, and is updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that landlords who manage several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and request a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Melling, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Melling rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living due to health issues. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping in Melling rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Melling

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in houses. A draughty house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap, then it is likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Melling

Rental properties in Melling need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat source, then it must include an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Melling

Each living space within a rental house must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising the fact that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus do not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need adequate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Melling

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy for the house to retain warmth.

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

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

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

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

Melling Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is often what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. 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.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Melling

The areas of rental property that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Melling include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Melling for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine during a house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.