Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Kaiwharawhara 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 completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed 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 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified to evaluate 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, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is renting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It is updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct an home inspection performed on 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 So Important?

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

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Kaiwharawhara rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Kaiwharawhara rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A damp house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap, then it is probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out from your house require to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test the windows and doors during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Rental properties in Kaiwharawhara must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump then it must have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source like an air conditioner, it might require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one opening door or window to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising the fact that dried air can be much easier to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms dining rooms, and kitchens are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus don’t need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that vent to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and will also make an easier task for the household to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

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

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

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from entering the property. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the 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 Kaiwharawhara

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by the Healthy Homes Standard in Kaiwharawhara include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are many things to check in a home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenant services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.