Healthy Homes Assessment Miramar

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Miramar rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed, and provide the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

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

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, and 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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on the Miramar rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it is updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to remember that a landlord with multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and request an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Miramar, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

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

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping within Miramar rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Miramar Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Miramar

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A draughty house costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out of your house require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Miramar

Miramar rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source like heat pumps, it might require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Miramar

Every living space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air will be less difficult to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore don’t need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that 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 quality.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Miramar

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation meets this new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier for the house to keep warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

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

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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Miramar Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place 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 avoid moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Miramar

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Miramar include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Miramar for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for when conducting the house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home assessment.