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 a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully certified 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 to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the work that requirements to be done and provide a report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations 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 $7,200 plus additional healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, we are fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is letting the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy contract is completed, and should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Miramar, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improve the standard of Miramar rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living because of diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control in Miramar rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Miramar Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Miramar

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in households. A damp home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within the home require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the home heats and cools, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will test every window and door as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important for healthy houses

Heating Miramar

Rental properties in Miramar require a reliable heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump then it must have a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it could require an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Miramar

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

The ventilation standard is all about understanding that dry air is easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight requirements at least to open to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your property with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Miramar

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making much easier to the home to keep warmth.

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

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

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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Miramar Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Find out all the details of the 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 to the Healthy Homes Standard in Miramar include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Miramar for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check during the home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.