Healthy Homes Assessment Breaker Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Breaker Bay 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 completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of 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 healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified to assess 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 new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is identified 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 information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request an home assessment done for your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Breaker Bay, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Breaker Bay rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping on Breaker Bay rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Breaker Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Breaker Bay

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A damp home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap that is, it’s most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out within the home require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Breaker Bay

Rental properties in Breaker Bay need to have a stable heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 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 and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must have a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might just require an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Breaker Bay

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air will be much easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or Skylight requirements at least to open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Breaker Bay

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task for the house to hold the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, higher the standard of insulation.

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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Breaker Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often not apparent that it could become a major issue, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent 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 Breaker Bay

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standards in Breaker Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Breaker Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over during the house review to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the Tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.