Healthy Homes Assessment Hataitai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Hataitai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 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 if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s also important to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Hataitai, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Improving the standard of Hataitai rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Hataitai rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Hataitai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hataitai

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A humid house costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your home require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for the movement of the building when the house heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Hataitai

Hataitai rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), then it must include the thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it may require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hataitai

Every living space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, but remain set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Hataitai

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory for all rent homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with current standard. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to the household to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

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

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hataitai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hataitai

The areas of rental property that are affected with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Hataitai include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hataitai for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine when conducting a home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property home assessment.