Healthy Homes Assessment Te Aro

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s 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 which needs to be done, and offer the report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information 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 getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s also important to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and request an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Te Aro, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Te Aro rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping in Te Aro rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Te Aro Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Aro

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A cold home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from your house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test every window and door as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Te Aro

Te Aro rental properties need to have a stable source of heating that is able to heat the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it should include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it might just need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Te Aro

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that dried air can be much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus don’t need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside, but remain set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Te Aro

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and it will make much easier for the house to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 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, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 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 quality.

Te Aro Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Aro

Property rental areas that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Te Aro include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Aro for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for during an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home evaluation.