Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

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 now have to make sure their Kingsley Heights rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. needs to be completed, and offer an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, and 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

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

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days of receiving the request, they can receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also crucial to note that landlords with multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, and research indicates that rental homes tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Kingsley Heights rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Kingsley Heights rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having 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 low temperatures inside houses. A cold house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into the house need the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow movement of the building as the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test every window and door in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley Heights

Kingsley Heights rental properties must have a fixed heating source that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it should include the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it could require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dry air is less difficult to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable and are not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Kingsley Heights

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may need to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make much easier for the house to hold the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from entering the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Find out all the details of 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 through The Healthy Homes Standards in Kingsley Heights include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

There are many things to check in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.