Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Totara Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 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 determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks that requirements to be completed and offer the report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, 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

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an 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 is unable to supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s also crucial to be aware that landlords with several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have an home evaluation 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 are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Totara Park rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living because of health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Totara Park rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A draughty home costs more to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or a clear draught from a gap or hole that is, it’s likely a crack or crack that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out of the house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the structure as the household heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will examine all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for healthy houses

Heating Totara Park

Totara Park rental properties need to have a stable source of heat that can warm the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump, then it must include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source such as a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Totara Park

Every living space of a rental house must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising that the dry atmosphere is easier to heat and heat, and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

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

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that vent out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Totara Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and will also make much easier to allow the home to keep heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands 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 remainder 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and also stop it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often what you don’t see that can become a big problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and soil, a ground-water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor 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

Rental property areas affected with The Healthy Homes Standard in Totara Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are many things to check during an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental properties home evaluation.