Healthy Homes Assessment Pipitea

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Pipitea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully certified 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 evaluate your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, we 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

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Pipitea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s also important to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Pipitea, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who reported four or more key housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improving the standard of Pipitea rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Pipitea rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Pipitea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pipitea

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A humid house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within the home need sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

There is no require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure when the home warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will check every window and door during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Pipitea

Pipitea rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can heat the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it must have an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like an air conditioner, it could require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pipitea

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable door or window to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging it is that dry air is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Pipitea

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, as well as making more easy to the house to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 and underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Pipitea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring 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 Pipitea

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Pipitea include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pipitea for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for when conducting an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house assessment.