Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Ascot Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks which requirements to be done and offer the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of 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 as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties we are fully qualified to assess both 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it is updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research shows us that these rental houses are likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Ascot Park rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control on Ascot Park rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the home require seals. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the household heats and cools, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will check all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Ascot Park

Rental properties in Ascot Park need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality as they are either costly, not cost-effective to run, or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Each living space within a rental property must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dried air can be easier to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside and remain closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Ascot Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and will also make it easier to the house to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and 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 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

The ground-moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Ascot Park

The areas of rental property that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Ascot Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check during a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

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