Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure their Kingsley Heights 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 must be fully 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 assess your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed, and offer the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified to assess 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and make arrangements to have a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Kingsley Heights rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping on Kingsley Heights rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Kingsley Heights Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley Heights

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of your home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will examine all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Kingsley Heights

Kingsley Heights rental properties need to have a stable heating source which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, 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 well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it might require a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to achieve the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is all about understanding the fact that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and that a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or skylight requirements to be able to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Kingsley Heights

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and will also make much easier to allow the home to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest area 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water, and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often not apparent that it can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley Heights

Property rental areas that are affected with Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Kingsley Heights include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine when conducting an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.