Healthy Homes Assessment Rongotai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Rongotai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be done, and provide the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as being the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s also crucial to note that a landlord who own several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and request an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent homes in New Zealand and Rongotai, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more major 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 can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping within Rongotai rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from your house require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the household is heated and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine every window and door as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important for well-being homes

Heating Rongotai

Rongotai rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump then it must have a thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it might just require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Rongotai

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air will be more easy to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside and remain set in an opening position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Rongotai

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, as well as making more easy to the household to retain the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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, underfloor R 1.3

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

Rongotai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the building. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Rongotai

Property rental areas that are affected through Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Rongotai include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.