Healthy Homes Assessment Thorndon

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to make sure that their Thorndon rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about the tasks that needs to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, we are fully certified to evaluate each of 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Thorndon rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be done inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and arrange to have an home assessment done on your rental property.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Thorndon, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

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

The improvement in the standard of Thorndon rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Thorndon rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Thorndon Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Thorndon

Draughts may lead to low temperatures inside households. A damp house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draught could be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the building when the household warms and cools to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check the windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Thorndon

Thorndon rental properties need to have a stable source of heat that can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the 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 wellbeing.

The source of heat requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it must include a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it might just require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Thorndon

Each living space within the rental property should have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dry air will be more easy to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each door, window or Skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside and remain at an open angle, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Thorndon

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, as well as making much easier to the household to hold heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor 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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Thorndon Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building it’s also about the outside. 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 is damp and moisture, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from getting into the building. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring 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 Thorndon

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Thorndon for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to look over in a home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental properties home assessment.