Healthy Homes Assessment Pinehaven

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will 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 about the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Pinehaven rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Pinehaven rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out It could also be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to remember that a landlord who have several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000 and 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 wallet and result in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have a home assessment performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Pinehaven, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Pinehaven rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs over the long term.

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

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Pinehaven Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pinehaven

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A humid home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the home require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the house is heated and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will check the windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for healthy homes

Heating Pinehaven

Rental properties in Pinehaven should have a permanent heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it requirements to have a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pinehaven

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that dry air will be less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs to be able open to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems that vent out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Pinehaven

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, as well as making more easy for the household to keep the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 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 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Pinehaven Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pinehaven

The areas of rental property that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Pinehaven include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pinehaven for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in the house review to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to regulations under 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 now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.