Healthy Homes Assessment Horokiwi

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Horokiwi rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely 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 will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks which needs to be done and offer a report with all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties and are completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Horokiwi rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be taken care of within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it is updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to remember that a landlord who own several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment done on your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Horokiwi, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Horokiwi rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs 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 as Draught Control for Horokiwi rental properties.

Start now and call about the Horokiwi Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Horokiwi

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out into your home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the house is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will inspect all windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Horokiwi

Horokiwi rental properties should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it requirements to include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, like heat pumps, it might just require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Horokiwi

Every living space in a rental property has to include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

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

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Horokiwi

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement in all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to the home to retain the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and 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 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Horokiwi Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is typically not apparent that it can become a big problem and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Horokiwi

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Horokiwi include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Horokiwi for Rental Properties

There are many things you should look for during an house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.