Healthy Homes Assessment Kingston

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure 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 compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work which requirements to be done, and offer an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Kingston rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of within 90 days.

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

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is named on the lease contract as the person leasing the property out which 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 accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and request a house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Kingston, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who experience four or more major home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Enhancing the standard of Kingston rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and living because of health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping on Kingston rental properties.

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

Draught Stopping Kingston

Draughts may lead to less temperature in homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap that is, it is likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out from your home need seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched whenever possible.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the home warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Heating Kingston

Rental properties in Kingston require a reliable source of heat that is able to heat the largest or main living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, 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 requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source such as a heat pump, then it could need an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kingston

Every living space of a rental property has to include at least one open window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is about recognising it is that dry air is much easier to heat and 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 spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable , and thus are not need an opening window or door.

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

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

Insulation Kingston

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to current standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and will also make much easier to allow the household to hold warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

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

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

Kingston Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a 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 prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingston

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Kingston include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Home Assessments Kingston for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for during an home assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.