Healthy Homes Assessment Aotea

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Aotea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the details required 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 following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely certified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for an Aotea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Aotea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out 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 at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and make arrangements to have a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Aotea, and research indicates that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the quality of Aotea rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping for Aotea rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Aotea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Aotea

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out from the home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as possible.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement of the structure as the home is heated and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than securing. We will check all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Aotea

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

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump it must have a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source, like an air conditioner, it may need an update to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Aotea

Every living space of a rental property must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air is much easier to heat, and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

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

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Aotea

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

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

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well 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 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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Aotea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Aotea

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to The Healthy Homes Standard in Aotea include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Aotea for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check when conducting the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.