Healthy Homes Assessment Miramar

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Miramar rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks that needs to be completed, and offer a report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under 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 healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental property, and are fully qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to note that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households homes in New Zealand and Miramar, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who report at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Improving the quality of Miramar rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured 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 requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping in Miramar rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Miramar Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Miramar

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you are able to feel it, it is likely to be a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the home heats and cools, in order to let them be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Miramar

Miramar rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that can heat the principal or the biggest living space 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 and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must include a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, like heat pumps, it might just need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Miramar

Each living space within a rental home must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be more easy to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs to have the ability to open to the outside while remaining closed to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

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

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Miramar

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation is up to current quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and also makes an easier task for the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Miramar Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from entering the structure. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Miramar

Property rental areas that are affected through Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Miramar include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Miramar for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over during the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental property home evaluation.