Healthy Homes Assessment Te Marua

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Te Marua rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new 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 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 tasks that requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Te Marua 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 by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s important to remember that landlords who manage several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Te Marua, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Additionally, those who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Te Marua rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping on Te Marua rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Te Marua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Marua

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap, then it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the household is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test every window and door as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Te Marua

Rental properties in Te Marua must have a fixed heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard because they’re costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Marua

Every living space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that dried air can be less difficult to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore don’t need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your property with shower, bath cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Te Marua

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to the household to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Te Marua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually what you don’t see that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Marua

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by The Healthy Homes Standards in Te Marua include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Marua for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for when conducting an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.