Healthy Homes Assessment Breaker Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Breaker Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully conforming by the 1st 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 to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work required. needs to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified to evaluate 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and request an home assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Breaker Bay, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the quality of Breaker Bay rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and living because of illnesses. 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 specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping in Breaker Bay rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Breaker Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Breaker Bay

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A cold home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole that is, it’s likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within your house need sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the building as the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Breaker Bay

Breaker Bay rental properties need to have a stable heating source which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it should have the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, like heat pumps, it might require an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Breaker Bay

Each liveable space in a rental home must include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dry air is easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Breaker Bay

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to allow the household to retain the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor 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

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Breaker Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is typically the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Breaker Bay

Property rental areas that are affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Breaker Bay include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Breaker Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over during an house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties house evaluation.