Healthy Homes Assessment Tawa

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Tawa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations 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 as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Tawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Tawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for severe violations. Those who have more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Tawa, and research suggests that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Tawa rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping in Tawa rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Tawa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Tawa

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in homes. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or crack that requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into your home need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the building as the home warms and cools so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will test the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Tawa

Tawa rental properties should have a permanent source of heating which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must have the thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it might just need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the quality as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Tawa

Every living space of a rental house must have at least one openable doors or windows to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging the fact that dried air can be easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or Skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Tawa

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task for the household to hold warmth.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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.

Tawa Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment as well as harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Tawa

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Tawa include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Tawa for Rental Properties

There are many concerns you should look for when conducting an home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with 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 the Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.