Healthy Homes Assessment Breaker Bay

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? Landlords now have to make sure that their Breaker Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

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 Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Breaker Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s crucial to remember that a landlord who have several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, and result in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have a house inspection performed for your rental property.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Breaker Bay, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older and are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the standard of Breaker Bay rental property will help tenants experience improved mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping in Breaker Bay rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Breaker Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Breaker Bay

Draughts can lead to less temperature in houses. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out from the house require the sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block up intentional gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure when the home gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will check all doors and windows in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Breaker Bay

Breaker Bay rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it must have a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, like small apartments an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a central heating source like a heat pump, then it might just require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Breaker Bay

Each liveable space in a rental home must contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dried air can be much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight requirements for them to be in a position of opening to the outside, and stay closed, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal house

Insulation Breaker Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets this new quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, as well as making much easier for the home to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of 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 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all area 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

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

Breaker Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it is usually the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble that can cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

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

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the building. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Breaker Bay

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standard in Breaker Bay include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Breaker Bay for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check when conducting the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today to book your rental property home assessment.