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? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Rongotai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered in 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 if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed and provide a report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Rongotai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It is important to be aware that a landlord with multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and 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 on your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Rongotai, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who report at least four major home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

The improvement in the quality of Rongotai rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to health issues. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping for Rongotai rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Rongotai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Rongotai

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside homes. A humid home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap, then it’s most likely a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the house need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the structure when the household warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will examine the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important for well-being homes

Heating Rongotai

Rongotai rental properties should have a permanent heating source that can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it must be equipped with the thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it might require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Rongotai

Each living space within the rental property should have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that dried air can be more easy to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your property with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Rongotai

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and also makes it easier to allow the house to retain the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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, underfloor 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 dampness isn’t just about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often the concerns you don’t notice that could become a major issue and end up causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the building. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor 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 Rongotai

Property rental areas that are affected to Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Rongotai include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Rongotai for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over when conducting the house assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.