Healthy Homes Assessment Kingston

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Kingston rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. needs to be done, and offer a report with all the information required to complete 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 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully qualified to assess both 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kingston rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be completed within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Kingston rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have an home evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Kingston, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health results, specifically for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Kingston rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Kingston rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Kingston Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingston

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole that is, it is likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out of your home need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the house is heated and cools in order to let them be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will test every window and door during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Kingston

Kingston rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it might just require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Kingston

Every living space of a rental home must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

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

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Kingston

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement on all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation meets this new quality. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy to allow the home to hold warmth.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingston Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is typically not apparent that it could become a major issue, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a location to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingston

Rental property areas affected through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Kingston include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingston for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over in the home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.