Healthy Homes Assessment Riverstone Terraces

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Riverstone Terraces rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by 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. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the work required. needs to be done, and offer a report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Riverstone Terraces rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Riverstone Terraces rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they may receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is letting the property out which 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 accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also important to note that landlords who own several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and request a home assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Riverstone Terraces, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Riverstone Terraces rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping on Riverstone Terraces rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Riverstone Terraces Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Riverstone Terraces

Draughts can lead to less temperature in houses. A humid home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole, then it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within your house require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the building as the household warms and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will inspect all doors and windows in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Riverstone Terraces

Riverstone Terraces rental properties need to have a stable heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, like heat pumps, it might just need some additional energy to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard as they are either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Riverstone Terraces

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is about recognising that dry air is easier to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Riverstone Terraces

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory on all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy to the household to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Riverstone Terraces Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Riverstone Terraces

The areas of rental property that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standards in Riverstone Terraces include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Riverstone Terraces for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check in the house review to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.