Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

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 that their Totara Park 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 completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are fully certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and request a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the quality of Totara Park rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Totara Park rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within houses. A cold home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap, then it’s likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within the home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for the movement of the structure as the house is heated and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will check every window and door in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Totara Park

Rental properties in Totara Park must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it should have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as an air conditioner, it may need some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Totara Park

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air will be less difficult to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements to be able open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Totara Park

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and also makes it easier to the household to keep warmth.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part 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, underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Totara Park

Rental property areas affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Totara Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine during a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough 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 in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.