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 July 2021? Landlords must ensure their Te Aro rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that needs to be done and provide a report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re fully certified for 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, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Te Aro 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 period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to supply the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant may receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is important to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, with huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Te Aro, and research suggests that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Te Aro rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping within Te Aro rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Aro

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside homes. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole that is, it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out of your house require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will examine the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Te Aro

Rental properties in Te Aro must have a fixed heating source that can heat the living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. 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) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, like a heat pump, then it might require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Te Aro

Each living space within a rental house must have at least one openable doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

The ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air is more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not liveable and don’t need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or skylight needs for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Te Aro

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier for the household to retain the heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part 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 the entire 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

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface or ground water, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and ground, a ground water 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 stop any moisture present in the ground from entering the property. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor 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 Te Aro

The areas of rental property that are affected by Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Te Aro include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Aro for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine when conducting a home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenant solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today and book your rental property home assessment.