Healthy Homes Assessment Avalon

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

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

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully qualified to evaluate both 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 brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for an Avalon 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 tenancy is signed on an Avalon rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and request an 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?

Around 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Avalon, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Avalon rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping within Avalon rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Avalon Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Avalon

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in 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 sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it is likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of the house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the structure as the household is heated and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Avalon

Rental properties in Avalon should have a permanent heating source that can heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living area to at minimum 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 as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it must have the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it could require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Avalon

Each liveable space in a rental property must include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising it is that dry air is less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore do not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or Skylight requirements to be able open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need adequate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Avalon

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure the insulation meets the new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and it will make more easy to allow the home to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the 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 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Avalon Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Avalon

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Avalon include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Avalon for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in the house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.