Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks required. requirements to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully certified for 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 brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on the Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

Check out the complete details of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Hongoeka rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Hongoeka rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts may lead to less temperature in homes. A cold house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out from your home require seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the building as the house heats and cools, so that they can still be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Rental properties in Hongoeka should have a permanent source of heat that can heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top-up" with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it may require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside and remain closed in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need proper extractor fan systems that vent to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Hongoeka

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets the new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and will also make an easier task to the household to hold warmth.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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

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

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Rental property areas affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Hongoeka include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine in a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.