Healthy Homes Assessment Aotea

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Aotea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st 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 determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks that needs to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on an Aotea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for an Aotea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords with multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given only for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Aotea, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Aotea rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living due to health issues. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping for Aotea rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Aotea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Aotea

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A damp home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it is likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your home need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will test the windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Aotea

Aotea rental properties require a reliable heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source such as heat pumps, it may need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Aotea

Every living space in a rental house must have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

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

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore don’t need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Aotea

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure the insulation meets the new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Aotea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor 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 Aotea

The areas of rental property that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Aotea include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Aotea for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over in an home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.