Healthy Homes Assessment Days 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? Landlords now have to make sure their Days Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully certified 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Days Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Days Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Days Bay, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Days Bay rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping for Days Bay rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Days Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Days Bay

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught could 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 entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within your house require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test all doors and windows as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Days Bay

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

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must include a thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might need an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Days Bay

Each living space within a rental house must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be easier to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs at least open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require proper extractor fan systems that vent towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Days Bay

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and also makes it easier to the home to retain warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands 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 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Days Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the building. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Days Bay

Rental property areas affected through Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Days Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Days Bay for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for in an house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert advice, call today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.