Healthy Homes Assessment Seatoun

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 ensure that their Seatoun 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 fully compliant 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 check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be done and provide the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Seatoun rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Seatoun rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they reside in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out It could also be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is also crucial to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent the property in New Zealand and Seatoun, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and heart diseases. In addition, people who report at least four major issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Seatoun rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping for Seatoun rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Seatoun Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Seatoun

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in houses. A cold home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that 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 gap or hole that is, it is most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within your home require to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will test all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Seatoun

Rental properties in Seatoun should have a permanent heating source that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it must include an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a central heating source such as an air conditioner, it could require some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Seatoun

Each living space within the rental property should contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dry air will be easier to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or the skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside, and stay closed to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Seatoun

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness as well as making more easy to the home to hold warmth.

Insulation needs 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 insulation is able to resist heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Seatoun Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home 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 surface, rain or ground water and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent 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 Seatoun

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Seatoun include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Seatoun for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.