Healthy Homes Assessment Kaiwharawhara

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

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

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done and offer a report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Kaiwharawhara rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is listed on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy contract is completed, and should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is also crucial to be aware that landlords with several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a home assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households rent in New Zealand and Kaiwharawhara, and research shows us that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Kaiwharawhara rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught stopping within Kaiwharawhara rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Kaiwharawhara Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kaiwharawhara

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A cold house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole, then it is likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up holes or gaps in the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the structure when the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will test all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Kaiwharawhara

Kaiwharawhara rental properties require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the largest or main living space to at least 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 well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should be equipped with an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source such as a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kaiwharawhara

Each liveable space in a rental property has to contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining areas are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t liveable , and thus do not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside, and stay set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath and cooktop or another water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. 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 for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm house is a healthy home

Insulation Kaiwharawhara

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with the new standard. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make an easier task to the house to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part of 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 (underfloor R 1.3

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kaiwharawhara Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually not apparent that it can become a big problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara

Property rental areas that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Kaiwharawhara include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kaiwharawhara for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to be able to examine during a house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space well-insulated? Is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the Tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.