Healthy Homes Assessment Mount Victoria

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 are now required to make sure that their Mount Victoria rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work required. requirements to be completed and offer an assessment report that includes all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found 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 for rental properties, as well as fully certified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6790

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Mount Victoria rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Mount Victoria rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant can be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property It could also be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also important to keep in mind that landlords who have multiple rental properties may face additional fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are reserved for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account with huge fines, in addition to having to continue to comply. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and request a house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Mount Victoria, and research suggests that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and are of lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who have reported at least four key house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

The improvement in the standard of Mount Victoria rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping for Mount Victoria rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Mount Victoria Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Mount Victoria

Draughts can lead to less temperature in homes. A cold home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole or crack, then it is most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in somehow. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into your home require seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t need to block up intentional holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test all windows and doors in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Mount Victoria

Rental properties in Mount Victoria require a reliable heating source that can heat the living area to at minimum 18degC even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine if the current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should have an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, such as the heat pump, it could need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Mount Victoria

Each living space within a rental home must include at least one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising how dry air is more easy to heat and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallways are not living spaces and therefore do not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside and remain at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Mount Victoria

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure the insulation meets current quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might need to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making much easier for the household to keep heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The greater the R-value, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Mount Victoria Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s frequently not apparent that it could be a huge problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from entering the structure. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Mount Victoria

Rental property areas affected through The Healthy Homes Standard in Mount Victoria include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Mount Victoria for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to check during a house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today and book your rental property home assessment.