Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

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

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks required. needs to be done and provide the report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with 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 $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully certified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to be aware that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have a home inspection performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

A majority of households the property in New Zealand and Highbury, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Highbury rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping within Highbury rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Highbury Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A damp house will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out into your house require seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the household warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will test all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Highbury

Highbury rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

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

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it could need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Highbury

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that dry air will be more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Highbury

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure the insulation meets current standard. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to allow the home to keep heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

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

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from entering the home. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

The areas of rental property that are affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Highbury include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for during a home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call today and book your rental properties house evaluation.