Healthy Homes Assessment Highbury

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? The landlords are now required to make sure that their Highbury rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties 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 assess your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which needs to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of 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 relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re fully qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed contract is signed on a Highbury rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is completed, and should be kept updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords who own several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

One in three households rent the property in New Zealand and Highbury, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who report at least four major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Highbury rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Highbury rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Highbury Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Highbury

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a hole or gap that is, it’s probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out within your house need sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as much as imaginable.

There is no require to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow movement of the structure when the household warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Highbury

Highbury rental properties require a reliable source of heat which can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature suggested 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) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat source, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it might just require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Highbury

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is about recognising the fact that dry air is much easier to heat and that 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. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside and remain at an open angle to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will need appropriate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Highbury

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation is in line with the new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make more easy to the home to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Highbury Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem that can cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties need to have efficient drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the home. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Highbury

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through the Healthy Homes Standards in Highbury include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Highbury for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over in a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today and book your rental properties house assessment.