Healthy Homes Assessment Johnsonville

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Johnsonville rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks that needs to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties and are fully qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Johnsonville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Johnsonville rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is renting the property which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be completed, and should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It is important to be aware that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are given for the most serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and ask us to conduct an home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Johnsonville, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more major issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Johnsonville rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Johnsonville rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Johnsonville Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Johnsonville

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A cold home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear from a crack or a gap, then it is likely to be a gap or crack that needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out within your house require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building as the household heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will test every window and door as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Johnsonville

Johnsonville rental properties should have a permanent heating source that can warm the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature 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) with at least 1.5 kW 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 check if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Johnsonville

Every living space of a rental home must include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to remove moisture.

The ventilation standard is all about understanding it is that dried air can be more easy to heat and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your house that houses a bath, shower and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Johnsonville

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation meets current standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, as well as making much easier to the house to keep the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Johnsonville Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is often those things that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and also 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 avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor 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 Johnsonville

Rental property areas affected with Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Johnsonville include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Johnsonville for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice, call today to book your rental property house assessment.