Healthy Homes Assessment Karaka Bays

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Karaka Bays rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully conforming by the 1st 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work that needs to be done and provide a report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes associated 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

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done within 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed lease is entered into on the Karaka Bays rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property and 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 requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and is updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It is crucial to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in massive fines as well as still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a home evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Karaka Bays, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and asthma, as well as heart diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four key house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the quality of Karaka Bays rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and living due to health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught stopping on Karaka Bays rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Karaka Bays Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Karaka Bays

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A cold home costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit of your home need to be sealed. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement of the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Karaka Bays

Karaka Bays rental properties need to have a stable source of heat which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during 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 well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that 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 heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source such as an air conditioner, it might need some additional energy to make sure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Karaka Bays

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside, and stay closed to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Karaka Bays

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and it will make much easier for the house to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and 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

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Karaka Bays Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and ground water to go and stop it from coming into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s frequently the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and end up causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Karaka Bays

Property rental areas that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Karaka Bays include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Karaka Bays for Rental Properties

There are numerous things you should look for when conducting a house evaluation to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenant services ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today and book your rental property house evaluation.