Healthy Homes Assessment Rongotai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure their Rongotai 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 conforming by the 1st July 2024.

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

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which requirements to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as the person who is who is letting 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 correct at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households rent from New Zealand and Rongotai, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who report four or more major home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Improving the standard of Rongotai rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and living due to health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control on Rongotai rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Rongotai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts can lead to less temperature in households. A cold house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within your house require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will inspect all doors and windows during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for healthy houses

Heating Rongotai

Rongotai rental properties require a reliable heating source which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heat requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The 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. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it must include an thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source like the heat pump, it could require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Rongotai

Each living space within the rental property should have at least one openable doors or windows to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

The ventilation quality is about recognising that dry air is much easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus don’t need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside while remaining closed, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Rongotai

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and will also make more easy for the household to hold warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and it is a measurement 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 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Rongotai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Rongotai

Rental property areas affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Rongotai include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for during an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.