Healthy Homes Assessment Ngauranga

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Ngauranga rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully certified for 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Ngauranga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Ngauranga rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is also important to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and request an 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

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Ngauranga, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Ngauranga rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Ngauranga rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Ngauranga Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ngauranga

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within houses. A draughty home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a hole or gap, then it’s probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within your house require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will inspect all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Ngauranga

Ngauranga rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that is able to heat the living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Ngauranga

Each living space within a rental home must have at least one openable window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. 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 acknowledging how dry air will be less difficult to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or the skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside and remain closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Ngauranga

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and also makes more easy to the home to hold the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

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

Ngauranga Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is typically the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Ngauranga

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Ngauranga include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ngauranga for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for when conducting a home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.