Healthy Homes Assessment Alicetown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Alicetown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely certified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on an Alicetown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Alicetown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to be aware that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Alicetown, and research indicates that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Alicetown rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping for Alicetown rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Alicetown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Alicetown

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out into your home need seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for well-being houses

Heating Alicetown

Rental properties in Alicetown must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the largest or main living space to a minimum of 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 well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the existing permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump it requirements to be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it may need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Alicetown

Every living space of a rental property has to contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus do not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Alicetown

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task to the household to retain the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Alicetown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Alicetown

Property rental areas that are affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Alicetown include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Alicetown for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over when conducting the home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.