Healthy Homes Assessment Rongotai

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? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Rongotai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to 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 can assess your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully qualified for each of 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 tasks need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Rongotai, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Rongotai rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Rongotai rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in households. A cold home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into your house need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the structure as the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine all windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Rongotai

Rental properties in Rongotai must have a fixed source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors 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), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it must have a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it may need an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Rongotai

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dry air is easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs at least to open up to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Rongotai

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier for the home to keep the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest area of 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Rongotai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor 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 Rongotai

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

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenant services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.