Healthy Homes Assessment Boulcott

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Boulcott rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Boulcott rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Boulcott rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It is important to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Boulcott, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Boulcott rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Boulcott rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Boulcott Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Boulcott

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A cold house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap that is, it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out within your house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as possible.

You don’t require to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the house warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for well-being houses

Heating Boulcott

Boulcott rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, like an air conditioner, it may need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Boulcott

Every living space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or the skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside and remain at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Boulcott

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory for all rent homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make much easier for the house to hold heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part 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 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Boulcott Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Boulcott

The areas of rental property that are affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Boulcott include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Boulcott for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine during the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.