Healthy Homes Assessment Waitangirua

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Waitangirua 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 completely 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 to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks that requirements to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re fully qualified to evaluate 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Waitangirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Waitangirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one 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 company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and arrange to have a home assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Waitangirua, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Waitangirua rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Waitangirua rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Waitangirua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waitangirua

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside houses. A cold home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap, then it is most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out into your house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Waitangirua

Rental properties in Waitangirua should have a permanent heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it should be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it could require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Waitangirua

Each living space within a rental property must contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dry air is much easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Waitangirua

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

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

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest 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 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Waitangirua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waitangirua

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Waitangirua include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waitangirua for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over in the home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties home evaluation.