Healthy Homes Assessment Upper Hutt

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Upper Hutt rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to 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 can evaluate your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the work that requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely qualified 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for an Upper Hutt rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on an Upper Hutt rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure 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 currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment done on your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent from New Zealand and Upper Hutt, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Upper Hutt rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results 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, as well as Draught Control on Upper Hutt rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Upper Hutt Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Upper Hutt

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within households. A humid house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a crack or a gap that is, it is probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out within the home require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the house warms and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important for well-being homes

Heating Upper Hutt

Upper Hutt rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

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 requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it must have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source like the heat pump, it may need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Upper Hutt

Every living space of a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

The ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dry air will be much easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Upper Hutt

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to the house to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

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

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

Upper Hutt Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is often not apparent that it could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the 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 property has an enclosed space between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Upper Hutt

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Upper Hutt include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Upper Hutt for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for in the home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.