Healthy Homes Assessment Arakura

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Arakura rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and provide a report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for an Arakura rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done within 90 days.

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

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is also important to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down for severe breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a house inspection performed for your rental property.

Check out the complete details of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Arakura, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience four or more key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Arakura rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control in Arakura rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Arakura

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside homes. A cold home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of the house require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check all doors and windows as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Arakura

Rental properties in Arakura require a reliable source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it requirements to include the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it could require some additional energy to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Arakura

Each living space within a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dried air can be much easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

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

A cozy dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Arakura

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and will also make much easier to the household to keep warmth.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Arakura Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue, causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Arakura

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Arakura include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Arakura for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over during the house review to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough 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 services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.