Healthy Homes Assessment Ascot Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Ascot Park 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 that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and offer a report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on an Ascot Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

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

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is also important to note that landlords who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and make arrangements to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Ascot Park, and research shows us that these rental houses are likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more major housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the quality of Ascot Park rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of 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, as well as Draught Stopping in Ascot Park rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Ascot Park

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside houses. A humid home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit from your house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the home warms and cools so that they are able to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will test the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Ascot Park

Ascot Park rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must have an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source such as an air conditioner, it could require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Ascot Park

Every living space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air is much easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Ascot Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and it will make it easier to allow the household to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation resists 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 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Ascot Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from getting into the property. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Ascot Park

The areas of rental property that are affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Ascot Park include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Ascot Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for in an home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.