Healthy Homes Assessment Strathmore Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know 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 the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done and offer a report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as completely certified to evaluate both 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 or renewed contract is signed on a Strathmore Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

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

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty up to $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed 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 property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for severe violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment done for your rental property.

Find the full information on the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

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

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the quality of Strathmore Park rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Strathmore Park rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about getting a Strathmore Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Strathmore Park

Draughts may lead to less temperature in homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear out of a hole or gap, then it is most likely a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out of the home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the household warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will test the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Strathmore Park

Strathmore Park rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate 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 are not considered to be acceptable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat source, it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it might require an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Strathmore Park

Every living space of a rental house must include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about recognising that dry air is less difficult to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Strathmore Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness and also makes it easier for the household to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all 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 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Strathmore Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Strathmore Park

Property rental areas that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standards in Strathmore Park include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Strathmore Park for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to look over during an home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.