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 effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure 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 will assess 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 any work needed to be completed. needs to be done and offer a report with 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 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, 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, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on an Upper Hutt rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Upper Hutt rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done 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 an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s important to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Upper Hutt, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Upper Hutt rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping on Upper Hutt rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Upper Hutt Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Upper Hutt

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A cold house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap that is, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Any 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 being used, it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure as the household warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test every window and door during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Upper Hutt

Rental properties in Upper Hutt require a reliable source of heating that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, it requirements to include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it could need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Upper Hutt

Each living space within a rental house must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding the fact that dried air can be much easier to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and do not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, and stay closed, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Upper Hutt

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and will also make much easier to the home to keep the heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Upper Hutt Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside but you must ensure 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’s typically what you don’t see that could become a major issue that can cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Upper Hutt

Rental property areas affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Upper Hutt include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Upper Hutt for Rental Properties

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

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental properties home evaluation.