Healthy Homes Assessment Newlands

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 now have to ensure that their Newlands rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully in compliance by July 1st 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 and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any work that needs to be completed and offer an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors for rental properties, and are completely certified to assess both 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, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Newlands rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be completed by the end of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the necessary information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant may be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay 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 property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It is important to be aware that landlords with multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Newlands, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the standard of Newlands rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in less maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Newlands rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about the Newlands Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Newlands

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in homes. A cold home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating out of a hole or gap that is, it is likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out into the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure such draughts are eliminated as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home is heated and cools so that they can still be closed and opened instead of instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important for healthy houses

Heating Newlands

Rental properties in Newlands need to have a stable source of heating that can warm the main or largest living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the existing permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, such as the heat pump, it might require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Newlands

Each liveable space in a rental property must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising it is that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside and remain fixed in an open position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans that can be vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Newlands

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is a requirement for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure the insulation meets the new standard. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task to the household to keep heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Newlands Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and also stop it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a place to go, and it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Newlands

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

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Newlands for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for when conducting a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert advice get in touch today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.