Healthy Homes Assessment Porirua

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 now have to make sure that their Porirua rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new 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 evaluate your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. needs to be done, and provide a 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 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 related fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties and are completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Porirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Porirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and arrange to have a house assessment performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Porirua, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Porirua rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping for Porirua rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Porirua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Porirua

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in houses. A cold house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught out of a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out into your home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the building when the house is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will test every window and door in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Porirua

Rental properties in Porirua should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard as they are either costly, not affordable to run, or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Porirua

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising the fact that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy home

Insulation Porirua

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make an easier task to the home to keep the heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Porirua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from entering the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Porirua

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Porirua include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Porirua for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for during a home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.