Healthy Homes Assessment Churton Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Churton Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that needs to be completed and provide a report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, we are fully qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Churton Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet one of the 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 incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible for 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.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request an home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Churton Park, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Churton Park rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping on Churton Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Churton Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Churton Park

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A damp home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of the home require seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for well-being houses

Heating Churton Park

Churton Park rental properties require a reliable heating source which can warm the living area to at minimum 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 well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat source, it needs to have the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like an air conditioner, it might just need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either costly, not affordable to run, or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Churton Park

Each living space within the rental property should contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dried air can be less difficult to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside and remain fixed in an open position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation 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 an ideal house

Insulation Churton Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure the insulation meets this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and it will make more easy to allow the house to keep the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better 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 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Churton Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is frequently the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Churton Park

Rental property areas affected by Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Churton Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Churton Park for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine when conducting a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a Tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today to book your rental properties house assessment.