Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Kaiwharawhara rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks that needs to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as 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

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It’s crucial to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and arrange to have an house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research shows us that these rental homes tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report four or more key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the standard of Kaiwharawhara rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp , which means lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping in Kaiwharawhara rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A damp home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of the house require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the building as the home warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will examine all doors and windows in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being homes

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Kaiwharawhara rental properties should have a permanent heating source that can warm the living space to at least 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump then it must be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent 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 utilised to meet the quality because they’re costly, not affordable to run, and/or unsafe to run.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is all about acknowledging it is that dry air is much easier to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside, but remain at an open angle, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other moisture generating item will require appropriate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness as well as making more easy to allow the household to hold warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the 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 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go and also stop it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, including the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with The Healthy Homes Standards in Kaiwharawhara include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check in an home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties home assessment.