Healthy Homes Assessment Waitangirua

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 ensure that 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 fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be completed and offer the report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified for both 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 for a Waitangirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Waitangirua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days from being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to be aware that a landlord who manage several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in huge 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 ask us to conduct a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Waitangirua, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Waitangirua rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Waitangirua rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Waitangirua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Waitangirua

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp home costs more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out from the home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will check every window and door during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

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

Heating Waitangirua

Rental properties in Waitangirua must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the largest or main living room 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 source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it may need an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Waitangirua

Every living space of the rental property should include at least one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dry air is more easy to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or the skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Waitangirua

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making much easier to allow the home to retain heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Waitangirua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Waitangirua

Property rental areas that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standards in Waitangirua include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Waitangirua for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting the house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.