Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work which requirements to be completed and provide the report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment done on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Highbury, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Highbury rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping on Highbury rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Highbury Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A draughty house costs more 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 that it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the home require seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever possible.

There is no need to block gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Highbury

Highbury rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source like heat pumps, it might require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Highbury

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air will be more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will require 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, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Highbury

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to the home to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of 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 inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

The areas of rental property that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Highbury include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property home assessment.