Healthy Homes Assessment Strathmore Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Strathmore Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

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

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information required 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 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to keep in mind that landlords who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down only 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 in hearings.

If you fail to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and request an house assessment performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Strathmore Park, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Strathmore Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of health issues. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Control for Strathmore Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Strathmore Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Strathmore Park

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside households. A cold house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit into the house need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will check all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Strathmore Park

Rental properties in Strathmore Park must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18degC, even during the coldest winter days. 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 heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must include the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Strathmore Park

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

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

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Strathmore Park

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure the insulation meets the new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, as well as making an easier task to the house to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Strathmore Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between the floor and ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the home. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Strathmore Park

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Strathmore Park include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Strathmore Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home in relation to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an tenant solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call today to book your rental properties house evaluation.