Healthy Homes Assessment Rongotai

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Rongotai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a 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 can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties and are completely qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also important to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Rongotai, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Rongotai rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical 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 lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Rongotai rental properties.

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

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out of the home require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will inspect the windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Heating Rongotai

Rongotai rental properties require a reliable heating source which can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it must include an thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as heat pumps, it could require an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Rongotai

Each living space within a rental home must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is about recognising how dried air can be more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside, but remain at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

Insulation Rongotai

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make more easy for the house to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist 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 of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Rongotai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Rental Property Home Assessments Rongotai

Property rental areas that are affected by Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Rongotai include each:

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

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are many things to check when conducting a home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.