Healthy Homes Assessment Whitby

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Whitby rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work which needs to be done and provide an evaluation 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 breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified for 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, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Whitby rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be completed inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

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

It is important to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe violations. Those who have six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with large fines in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and request an house evaluation performed on your rental property.

See the full details for details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Whitby, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who reported four or more major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Whitby rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Whitby rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Whitby Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Whitby

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside homes. A draughty house costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is likely to be a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air into or out from your home require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the household warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

The proper heating equipment is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Whitby

Rental properties in Whitby must have a fixed heating source that can heat the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need 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 The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump, then it must have the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it might need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Whitby

Every living space in the rental property should have at least one opening window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

Each window, door , or skylight requirements at least to open up to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Whitby

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is up to the new standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, and will also make more easy to the home to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the 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 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 Zone 3 North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Whitby Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is typically the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble and cause the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring 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 Whitby

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Whitby include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Whitby for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to look over during a home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.