Healthy Homes Assessment Tawa

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? The landlords are now required to ensure their Tawa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely conforming by the 1st 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 and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work that requirements to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re fully qualified for 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, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Tawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Tawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is important to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with 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.

In the end, a failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home evaluation performed on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households rent homes in New Zealand and Tawa, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and have lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who report four or more major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Tawa rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and living because of diseases. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Tawa rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Tawa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Tawa

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or an opening that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will test every window and door as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Tawa

Tawa rental properties must have a fixed source of heat which can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heat needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, it should have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might need a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Tawa

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one opening door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air will be much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus don’t need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight needs to have the ability to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that can be vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

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

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Tawa

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and will also make more easy to the home to retain the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher 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 the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Tawa Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is frequently what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from rising into the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring 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 Tawa

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Tawa include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Tawa for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over when conducting a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For professional advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.