Healthy Homes Assessment Miramar

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Miramar rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties we are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s important to remember that landlords with several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Miramar, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Miramar rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

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

Contact us now to discuss the Miramar Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Miramar

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A cold house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit within your home need seals. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Miramar

Miramar rental properties should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, 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 heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it should include the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it may need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Miramar

Each living space within a rental house must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dry air is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. Our 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 high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Miramar

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and will also make more easy to the household to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area 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, underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Miramar Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Miramar

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Miramar for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine when conducting the house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.