Healthy Homes Assessment Te Aro

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Te Aro rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide the report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6779

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a present 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.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as the one who is who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request a home evaluation performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Te Aro, and research has shown that these rental homes tend to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Te Aro rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Control on Te Aro rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Te Aro Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Aro

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A humid house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of your house need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the home is heated and cools in order to let them be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

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

Heating Te Aro

Te Aro rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, 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 heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it requirements to include an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source such as a heat pump, then it might require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Te Aro

Every living space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising that dry air will be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside and remain closed to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Te Aro

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement for all rent homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier to the house to retain the heat.

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

The "R" stands for 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, 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

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Te Aro Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface or ground water and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s typically what you don’t see that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent 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 Te Aro

Rental property areas affected through The Healthy Homes Standard in Te Aro include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Aro for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to check when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a tenant services ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.