Healthy Homes Assessment Rongotai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Rongotai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks which needs to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, we 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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay 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 as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is also crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Rongotai, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Rongotai rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Rongotai rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it is most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out of the house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as possible.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being houses

Heating Rongotai

Rongotai rental properties should have a permanent source of heating which can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it could require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Rongotai

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside, but remain at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Rongotai

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets this new standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to the house to hold warmth.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Rongotai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically 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 assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Rongotai

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Rongotai include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.