Healthy Homes Assessment Karaka Bays

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Karaka Bays rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work required. needs to be done and offer the report with all the information needed 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 violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, and are completely qualified to assess 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be completed by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

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

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords with several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a house assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Karaka Bays, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Enhancing the quality of Karaka Bays rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping within Karaka Bays rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Karaka Bays Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karaka Bays

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in homes. A damp 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 or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into your house require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the home is heated and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect every window and door during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Karaka Bays

Karaka Bays rental properties need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the living room 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 health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it must include a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it might just require an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard as they are either costly, not affordable to run, or unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karaka Bays

Each living space within a rental house must contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, but remain closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy home

Insulation Karaka Bays

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets this new standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of 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 lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make much easier to allow the home to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Karaka Bays Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is usually what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing any damage to your 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 Karaka Bays

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standards in Karaka Bays include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karaka Bays for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine during the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.