Healthy Homes Assessment Strathmore Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Strathmore Park 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 completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that requirements to be completed and provide a report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes connected fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the property manager is unable to supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it is updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Strathmore Park, and research shows us that these rental homes tend to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who report four or more key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the quality of Strathmore Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

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

Begin now by calling about the Strathmore Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Strathmore Park

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A cold home costs more to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out into the home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Strathmore Park

Strathmore Park rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it must be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like the heat pump, it may need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Strathmore Park

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that dry air is more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Strathmore Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make an easier task to the house to hold the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Strathmore Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often not apparent that it could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from getting into the property. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Strathmore Park

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Strathmore Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for in a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice, call today to book your rental properties house evaluation.