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 now have to ensure that their Strathmore Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified 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 satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in 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 healthy homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties, 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

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant could be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is also important to note that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Strathmore Park, and research suggests that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Strathmore Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs 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 Draught stopping on Strathmore Park rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Strathmore Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Strathmore Park

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A cold home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within your house need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the household heats and cools, so that they can still be opened and closed rather than securing. We will check all windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Strathmore Park

Strathmore Park rental properties need to have a stable source of heat which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must include the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it could need a top up to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Strathmore Park

Each living space within a rental property must have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising how the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or skylight needs to be able open to the outside while remaining at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need proper extractor fan systems that are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Strathmore Park

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness, and also makes more easy to allow the house to retain warmth.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 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 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Strathmore Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damage to your investment as well as affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Strathmore Park

The areas of rental property that are affected to the Healthy Homes Standards in Strathmore Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Strathmore Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in an house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a tenant solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today and book your rental property home assessment.