Healthy Homes Assessment Titahi Bay

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Titahi Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely qualified to assess 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Titahi Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Titahi Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to note that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed for your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Titahi Bay, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who experience four or more key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Titahi Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

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

Contact us now to discuss having a Titahi Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Titahi Bay

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home will cost more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out into your home require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as possible.

There is no require to block gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow movement of the building when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened rather than sticking. We will check the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Titahi Bay

Rental properties in Titahi Bay must have a fixed heating source that is able to heat the living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest winter days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should have the thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it may need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Titahi Bay

Each liveable space in a rental house must include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how dried air can be easier to heat and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Titahi Bay

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets the new quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and lower the chance of mould and damp, and also makes more easy to the house to keep warmth.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

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

Titahi Bay 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 it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the home. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Titahi Bay

The areas of rental property that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standards in Titahi Bay include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Titahi Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to check when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.