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 effect on the 1st of July 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 rental properties are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under 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 healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental property, 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 contract is signed on a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is also important to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for the most serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in large fines in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and ask us to conduct a home inspection performed for your rental property.

Check out the complete details of the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Strathmore Park, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who have reported four or more key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the quality of Strathmore Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping in Strathmore Park rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Strathmore Park

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A humid house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the house need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and should be blocked from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional holes or gaps in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the household warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will inspect all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy houses

Heating Strathmore Park

Rental properties in Strathmore Park must have a fixed heating source that can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to top up with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, like the heat pump, it may need some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Strathmore Park

Every living space of the rental property should contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or the skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will require appropriate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Strathmore Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement in all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure the insulation meets this new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and also makes an easier task to allow the home to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of 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 the entire 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 water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could become a major issue and end up causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

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

Check out the complete 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 Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Strathmore Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Strathmore Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for when conducting the house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.