Healthy Homes Assessment Normandale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Normandale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work which requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties and are completely 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Normandale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Normandale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s important to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Normandale, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported four or more key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improving the standard of Normandale rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew 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, and Draught Stopping in Normandale rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Normandale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Normandale

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A draughty house costs more to heat, which results in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole that is, it is most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of the house require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as far as possible.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Normandale

Normandale rental properties should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it must have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it could require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Normandale

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Normandale

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to current standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness as well as making an easier task to allow the household to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Normandale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the property. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Normandale

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Normandale include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Normandale for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to look over when conducting the house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today to book your rental properties home evaluation.