Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Totara Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 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 standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6777

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on the Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, 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 home they live in. If the property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It is updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and request a house assessment performed for your rental property.

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?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Totara Park rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

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 Control in Totara Park rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A damp home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out into the home require seals. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the home warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine the windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Totara Park

Totara Park rental properties must have a fixed source of heating which can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should include a thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it may require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Totara Park

Every living space of a rental property has to include at least one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising it is that dried air can be much easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements to have the ability to open up to the outside while remaining closed, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Totara Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and will also make much easier to allow the house to keep warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation resists 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 – the remainder 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Totara Park

Rental property areas affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Totara Park include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home assessment.