Healthy Homes Assessment Melrose

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Melrose rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property to determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be done and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully certified for 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, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Melrose rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be finished inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Melrose rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it must be updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is also crucial to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may receive additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to adhere to compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households the property in New Zealand and Melrose, and research indicates that rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating, and generally are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Melrose rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping in Melrose rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Melrose Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Melrose

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A draughty house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes 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 air is clear out of a hole or gap, then it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out within the home need sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as far as possible.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the home gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will examine the windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important for healthy houses

Heating Melrose

Melrose rental properties require a reliable source of heating that is able to heat the living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump it should include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. In most houses, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, like a heat pump, then it might just need an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details to details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Melrose

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t liveable and are not require an opening door or window.

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open to the outside, but remain set in an opening position to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Melrose

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make much easier for the household to retain warmth.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest area 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Melrose Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface or ground water, and to prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go and that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent water ingress, if the rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps to prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Melrose

Property rental areas that are affected with Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Melrose include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Melrose for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to look over when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenancy services ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.