Healthy Homes Assessment Pipitea

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? The landlords are now required to make sure their Pipitea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work which needs to be done, and offer the report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Pipitea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is also important to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and request a home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households rent the property in New Zealand and Pipitea, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who report at least four key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Pipitea rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. 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 Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Pipitea rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Pipitea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pipitea

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into the home require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will inspect all doors and windows during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Pipitea

Pipitea rental properties require a reliable source of heating that can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat source, it should have a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source like the heat pump, it may require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Pipitea

Each living space within a rental property has to include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, and stay closed to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Pipitea

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task to the home to retain warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the 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, underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pipitea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically what you don’t see that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location 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 the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the 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 Pipitea

The areas of rental property that are affected through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Pipitea include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pipitea for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental property home evaluation.