Healthy Homes Assessment Naenae

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 make sure their Naenae 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 in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as completely qualified to evaluate both 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 tenancy is signed on a Naenae rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be completed within 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to remember that a landlord with several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct an 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

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Naenae, and research shows us that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Naenae rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping in Naenae rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Naenae

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside houses. A cold house costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole, then it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out within your home require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test the windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Naenae

Naenae rental properties must have a fixed source of heating which can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must have the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, such as heat pumps, it could require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Naenae

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is more easy to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your property with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Naenae

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to the household to retain the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Naenae Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently not apparent that it could become a major issue, causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Naenae

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Naenae include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Naenae for Rental Properties

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

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.