Healthy Homes Assessment Birchville

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The subjects covered in 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 requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as completely certified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Birchville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It must be updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is important to remember that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and request a home evaluation performed for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Birchville, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Birchville rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control on Birchville rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Birchville Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Birchville

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it’s likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of your home need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Birchville

Rental properties in Birchville need to have a stable source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it could require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Birchville

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or skylight needs at least open to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Birchville

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make more easy for the household to retain heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part 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 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Birchville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Birchville

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through The Healthy Homes Standards in Birchville include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Birchville for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over in a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental property house assessment.