Healthy Homes Assessment Te Aro

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Te Aro rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

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

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be completed and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re 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, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Te Aro rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done within 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be maintained through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is also important to be aware that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to comply with the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

See the full details for this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Te Aro, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who experience four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Te Aro rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of diseases. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping on Te Aro rental properties.

Begin now by calling about getting a Te Aro Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Aro

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a hole or gap, then it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within the house require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will check the windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

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

Heating Te Aro

Rental properties in Te Aro should have a permanent source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 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 wellbeing.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater or heat pump it requirements to have the thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it might just require an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Te Aro

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs at least to open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Te Aro

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory on all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and will also make an easier task to allow the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 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 underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Te Aro Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it is often the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Aro

Property rental areas that are affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Te Aro include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Aro for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns you should look for in a home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

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

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today and book your rental property house evaluation.