Healthy Homes Assessment Mount Victoria

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 ensure that their Mount Victoria rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be completed and offer a report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, we are completely qualified to assess 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 or renewed contract is signed on a Mount Victoria rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Mount Victoria 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 period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and request a house assessment performed on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Mount Victoria, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Mount Victoria rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better safeguarded 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 standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Mount Victoria rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Mount Victoria Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Mount Victoria

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A humid house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps 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 sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap, then it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test all windows and doors in the 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 Mount Victoria

Mount Victoria rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top-up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it could need some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality because they’re costly, not affordable to run, or are unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Mount Victoria

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Mount Victoria

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation meets the new standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

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

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest area 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Mount Victoria Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Mount Victoria

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

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Mount Victoria for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during a house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the house 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 tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.