Healthy Homes Assessment Maupuia

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Maupuia rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to 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 can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work which needs to be done, and offer a report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties we are fully qualified for 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, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Maupuia rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Maupuia rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s important to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house assessment done on your rental property.

Check out the complete details of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Maupuia, and research indicates that rental houses are most likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Maupuia rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping in Maupuia rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Maupuia Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Maupuia

Draughts can lead to less temperature in homes. A humid home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out into your house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent imaginable.

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

See the full details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important for well-being houses

Heating Maupuia

Rental properties in Maupuia need to have a stable source of heat that can warm the living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump it should have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it might need an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Maupuia

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

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air is much easier to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus don’t need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight needs to have the ability to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Maupuia

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation meets this new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and also makes an easier task for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with 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 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder area 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 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Maupuia Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

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

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Maupuia

The areas of rental property that are affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Maupuia include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Maupuia for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine in the home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.