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 ensure that their Ascot Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant 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 evaluate your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be completed and provide a report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely qualified for 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 or renewed contract is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on the Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one 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 is not incorporated within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and make arrangements to have a house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Additionally, those who report at least four major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced well-being.

Improving the quality of Ascot Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control within Ascot Park rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Ascot Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in households. A cold house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it’s probably a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the home need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed 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 movement of the structure as the home is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being houses

Heating Ascot Park

Ascot Park rental properties require a reliable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must include a thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard as they are either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space of a rental home must include at least one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or the skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, and stay closed to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Ascot Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement on all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness as well as making much easier to the household to hold warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

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

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor 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 Ascot Park

Property rental areas that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Ascot Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over during an home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental property house assessment.