Healthy Homes Assessment Timberlea

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Timberlea rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely compliant 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 check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties we are fully qualified 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, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Timberlea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Timberlea rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to note that landlords with multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Timberlea, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Additionally, those who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Timberlea rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs 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 Control within Timberlea rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Timberlea Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Timberlea

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A damp home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out from your house need seals. In the case of an open fireplace is not in use, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as possible.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the structure when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will check all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Timberlea

Timberlea rental properties must have a fixed heating source that can heat the largest or main living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and 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 should be equipped with a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as the heat pump, it might need an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Timberlea

Every living space of a rental home must include at least one open door or window to offer natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air is easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable and therefore do not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your house that houses shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Timberlea

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes it easier to the home to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all part 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Timberlea Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and also stop it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s often what you don’t see that could become a major issue and cause the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have efficient drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps prevent any damage to your 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 Timberlea

Rental property areas affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Timberlea include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Timberlea for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental properties house assessment.