Healthy Homes Assessment Hataitai

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Hataitai rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work that requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental property, we are fully certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be taken care of inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Hataitai rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to comply with all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Hataitai, and research suggests that rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report four or more key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Hataitai rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better 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 standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Control on Hataitai rental properties.

Start now and call about the Hataitai Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hataitai

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A cold house will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a gap or hole, then it is likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out into your home require sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be blocked from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the household is heated and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than securing. We will examine the windows and doors during an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Hataitai

Hataitai rental properties require a reliable source of heat that can warm the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine whether the current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it requirements to have a thermostat. This will make the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might just require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Hataitai

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dry air is more easy to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallways are not liveable and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Hataitai

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required on all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task for the home to keep heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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 below floor R 1.3

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

Hataitai Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s often those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hataitai

Rental property areas affected through Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Hataitai include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hataitai for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to check in the home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental properties home evaluation.