Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely conforming by the 1st July 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. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and provide a report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as completely qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed inside of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It is also crucial to note that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and arrange to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Hongoeka rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Hongoeka rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts may lead to less temperature in homes. A draughty home costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the house require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure when the home is heated and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check every window and door in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Hongoeka

Hongoeka rental properties should have a permanent heating source that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, it requirements to include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it may require a top up to make sure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space of a rental property must include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus do not need 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 to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your house that houses shower, bath cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Hongoeka

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure the insulation meets this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make it easier to allow the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically what you don’t see that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today and book your rental property home evaluation.