Healthy Homes Assessment Newtown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Newtown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which needs to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully certified to evaluate 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, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Newtown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Newtown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy contract is completed, and should be maintained through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who manage several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a home assessment done on your rental property.

See the full details for the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households homes in New Zealand and Newtown, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating, and generally are of lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Newtown rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment will be protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Newtown rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Newtown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Newtown

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within households. A humid house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear out of a hole or gap, then it is likely to be a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out from your house require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building when the household is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Newtown

Newtown rental properties need to have a stable source of heating that can heat the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source such as an air conditioner, it may require an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the quality since they’re either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Newtown

Every living space in the rental property should have at least one openable doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging it is that dried air can be more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require proper extractor fan systems that are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Newtown

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making more easy for the house to retain heat.

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

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

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Newtown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the inside but you must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go, and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor 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 Newtown

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to the Healthy Homes Standards in Newtown include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Newtown for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check during the home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties house evaluation.