Healthy Homes Assessment Gracefield

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Gracefield rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must 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 assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done and offer a report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with 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 $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully qualified for 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and request a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Gracefield, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Gracefield rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Gracefield rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Gracefield Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Gracefield

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out into your house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will check all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Gracefield

Gracefield rental properties must have a fixed heating source that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should have the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, such as heat pumps, it might just require an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Gracefield

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Gracefield

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement to all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and also makes an easier task to the house to retain warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part 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, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Gracefield Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s usually the things you don’t notice that could become a major issue, causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your flooring and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from entering the property. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Gracefield

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through the Healthy Homes Standards in Gracefield include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Gracefield for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for in a home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today to book your rental properties home assessment.