Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must ensure that their Totara Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be completely certified 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 evaluate your rental property and determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the necessary information for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties we are fully certified to assess both 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 Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information 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 from getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be correct when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any associated work has been completed.

It’s also crucial to keep in mind that landlords with several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and arrange to have a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households rent in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report four or more major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

The improvement in the standard of Totara Park rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught stopping for Totara Park rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within homes. A cold house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a gap or hole or crack, then it is likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out into your home require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the home is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather than securing. We will test all windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Totara Park

Rental properties in Totara Park should have a permanent source of heat that can heat the living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat source, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it might just need an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Totara Park

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding it is that dry air will be much easier to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and don’t require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Totara Park

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement in all rental homes since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets current standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and also makes more easy to the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the quality of insulation.

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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop 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 quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Totara Park

The areas of rental property that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standards in Totara Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over in a house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property house evaluation.