Healthy Homes Assessment Mount Cook

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Mount Cook rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work that needs to be completed and provide a report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified 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, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Mount Cook rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is crucial to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and request an home inspection performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Mount Cook, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Mount Cook rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Mount Cook rental properties.

Start now and call about the Mount Cook Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Mount Cook

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a crack or a gap that is, it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of your home require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the structure as the household warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Mount Cook

Rental properties in Mount Cook should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the current fixed 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 aren’t considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it needs to be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like a heat pump, then it could need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Mount Cook

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dried air can be easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside while remaining closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Mount Cook

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory in all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make it easier to the household to keep the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Mount Cook Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water, and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between the floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Mount Cook

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Mount Cook for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine when conducting a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property home assessment.