Healthy Homes Assessment Te Marua

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? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Te Marua rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely 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 can assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that needs to be completed, and provide a report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified to evaluate both 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be finished inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is crucial to be aware that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Te Marua, and research shows us that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported at least four key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Te Marua rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping within Te Marua rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Marua

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in homes. A cold house costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s probably a gap or crack that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within your home require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the household heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check every window and door as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for healthy homes

Heating Te Marua

Te Marua rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source such as a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard as they are either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Te Marua

Every living space of a rental property must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or the skylight needs at least of opening to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in areas of high moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Te Marua

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation is up to current standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make it easier to allow the home to keep warmth.

Insulation requirements 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 can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of insulation.

• 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

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

Te Marua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Marua

Rental property areas affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Te Marua include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Marua for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to be able to examine when conducting an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes 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 the ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today to book your rental property house assessment.