Healthy Homes Assessment Grenada Village

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Grenada Village rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. requirements to be completed, and provide a report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties we are completely certified 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, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Grenada Village rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and request a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Grenada Village, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who report at least four major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Grenada Village rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Grenada Village rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Grenada Village Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Grenada Village

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside homes. A damp home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap that is, it is likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out into your house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will check all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Grenada Village

Rental properties in Grenada Village must have a fixed source of heating which can warm the living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must include the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as heat pumps, it might require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Grenada Village

Each living space within a rental home must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that dry air is much easier to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or Skylight requirements at least open to the outside and remain closed, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your property with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need proper extractor fan systems which are vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Grenada Village

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, as well as making much easier to the household to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all area 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Grenada Village Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Grenada Village

The areas of rental property that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Grenada Village include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Grenada Village for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine in an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house evaluation.