Healthy Homes Assessment Te Marua

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Te Marua 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 certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks which requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully certified to assess 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Inability 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 existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s important to note that landlords with multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Te Marua, and research shows us that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the standard of Te Marua rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Te Marua rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Te Marua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Marua

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within your house need the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home is heated and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather than securing. We will check the windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for healthy homes

Heating Te Marua

Rental properties in Te Marua should have a permanent heating source that can warm the living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like an air conditioner, it may require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Te Marua

Every living space in a rental property has to include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising that dry air will be easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Te Marua

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy to the house to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

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

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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Te Marua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

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

The ground-moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring 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 Te Marua

The areas of rental property that are affected with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Te Marua include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Marua for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• 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 getting on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house assessment.