Healthy Homes Assessment Clouston Park

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? The landlords are now required to ensure their Clouston Park 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 fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas 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 whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks required. requirements to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes 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 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as completely qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is crucial to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households rent homes in New Zealand and Clouston Park, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the quality of Clouston Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Clouston Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Clouston Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clouston Park

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap, then it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

You don’t need to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will inspect the windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Clouston Park

Clouston Park rental properties need to have a stable source of heat which can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it may require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Clouston Park

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that dried air can be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, dining rooms, and kitchens are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and therefore do not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Clouston Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and will also make an easier task for the home to keep warmth.

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 insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Clouston Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently not apparent that it could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from entering the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clouston Park

Rental property areas affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Clouston Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clouston Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check when conducting an home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.