Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed, and offer a report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under 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 associated fines.

We’re fully independent assessors for rental properties, we are 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

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days of receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research shows us that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Hongoeka rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Control within Hongoeka rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp house costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from the house need the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as possible.

There is no need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the building when the household warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Hongoeka rental properties require a reliable heating source that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), then it must have the thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it may require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus do not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight requirements to be able to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Hongoeka

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and will also make an easier task for the household to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about what’s inside the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go, and stop it from coming into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the property. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Hongoeka include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over in an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental properties home assessment.