Healthy Homes Assessment Houghton Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Houghton Bay 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 are required to be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas 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 satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be completed and provide a report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified for 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 Houghton Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Houghton Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also important to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment 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 important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Houghton Bay, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Houghton Bay 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 will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping on Houghton Bay rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Houghton Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Houghton Bay

Draughts can lead to less temperature in houses. A humid house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap that is, it’s likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

There is no need to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Houghton Bay

Rental properties in Houghton Bay require a reliable heating source that can warm the living space to at least 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it might need an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Houghton Bay

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising that dried air can be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore do not need an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside while remaining at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Houghton Bay

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make it easier for the household to hold heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

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

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Houghton Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it is also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your flooring and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Houghton Bay

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Houghton Bay include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Houghton Bay for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

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

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.