Healthy Homes Assessment Harbour View

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Harbour View rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any 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 your rental property to check whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Harbour View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Harbour View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate 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 leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords who manage several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and request an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Harbour View, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the quality of Harbour View rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illness. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Harbour View rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Harbour View Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Harbour View

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a hole or gap that is, it’s probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the home gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test all doors and windows as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Harbour View

Rental properties in Harbour View require a reliable source of heating that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. 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) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it might need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Harbour View

Each liveable space in a rental home must have at least one opening doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about understanding how dry air is more easy to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

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

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that vent to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Harbour View

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to current quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and it will make much easier to allow the home to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

Harbour View Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the home. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Harbour View

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by The Healthy Homes Standards in Harbour View include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Harbour View for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over during the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient 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 regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental property house assessment.