Healthy Homes Assessment Hataitai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Hataitai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully 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 to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties we are fully certified to assess 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

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

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and arrange to have a home assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Hataitai, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Hataitai rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living because of illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control on Hataitai rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Hataitai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hataitai

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A draughty house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from your house require the 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 making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will inspect every window and door during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

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

Heating Hataitai

Rental properties in Hataitai need to have a stable source of heat that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested 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), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it could require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hataitai

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dry air is less difficult to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and are not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Hataitai

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is up to current standard. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making it easier to the home to retain the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hataitai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often what you don’t see that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring 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 Hataitai

The areas of rental property that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standards in Hataitai include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hataitai for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine when conducting an home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home assessment.