Healthy Homes Assessment Plimmerton

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure their Plimmerton rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks which requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the necessary information 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 landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified to assess 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 contract is signed on a Plimmerton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be completed within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Plimmerton rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct a home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Plimmerton, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who experience four or more key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

The improvement in the quality of Plimmerton rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping within Plimmerton rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Plimmerton Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Plimmerton

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap that is, it is most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within your house need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for the movement of the building when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Plimmerton

Plimmerton rental properties need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended 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) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat source, then it must include an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source like the heat pump, it could require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Plimmerton

Every living space of a rental property has to include at least one open windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dried air can be much easier to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Plimmerton

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required in all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and will also make it easier to allow the house to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Plimmerton Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Plimmerton

Rental property areas affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Plimmerton include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Plimmerton for Rental Properties

There are many things you should look for in an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal 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 replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property house assessment.