Healthy Homes Assessment Paremata

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Paremata rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks which needs to be done, and offer the report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully qualified for each of 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Paremata rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

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

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy contract is completed, and must be updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also crucial to be aware that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given only for serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Paremata, and research has shown that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the quality of Paremata rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs 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 in Paremata rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Paremata Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Paremata

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the house need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check every window and door as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is important for well-being homes

Heating Paremata

Rental properties in Paremata must have a fixed 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 and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it might need an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Paremata

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

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

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or the skylight requirements at least to open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your property with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Paremata

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement in all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and also makes an easier task to allow the house to keep warmth.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, more efficient the insulation.

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

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Paremata Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is typically not apparent that it can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment as well as harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between the floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Paremata

The areas of rental property that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Paremata include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Paremata for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns you should look for during a home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call today to book your rental properties home evaluation.