Healthy Homes Assessment Clouston Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Clouston Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely 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 the rental property you have in order to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks which requirements to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re completely certified to assess each of 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished within 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to remember that a landlord with several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment done on your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Clouston Park, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Clouston Park rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower 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 Control on Clouston Park rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Clouston Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clouston Park

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into your house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the building when the household is heated and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Clouston Park

Clouston Park rental properties must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it should include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as the heat pump, it may require an update to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Clouston Park

Every living space in a rental property must have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air is easier to heat and that a well ventilated rental property 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 considered liveable , and thus are not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside and remain closed, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Clouston Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation meets the new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make it easier to allow the home to hold the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Clouston Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically not apparent that it could be a huge problem that can cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier must be installed 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 stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clouston Park

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Clouston Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clouston Park for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine in the house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor 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? draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.