Healthy Homes Assessment Newtown

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Newtown rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully conforming by the 1st 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 and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work required. requirements to be completed, and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re fully certified for 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Newtown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be taken care of within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Newtown rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also 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 up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s crucial to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and request a house assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Newtown, and research indicates that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and are of lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key home quality issues often suffer from less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the standard of Newtown rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

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

Get started now and contact us about getting a Newtown Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Newtown

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside houses. A humid home costs more to heat, which results in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or a clear draught from a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the house require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow movement of the structure as the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be opened and closed rather than securing. We will check all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Newtown

Newtown rental properties need to have a stable heating source which can warm the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the 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 and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing fixed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should include an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like the heat pump, it could require an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard as they are either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Newtown

Every living space of a rental property has to include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dried air can be easier to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered living spaces and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Every window, door or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, and stay at an open angle, allowing ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. 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 in high moisture areas.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Newtown

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is mandatory on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes more easy for the household to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values of your area.

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

• 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 and underfloor R 1.3
• 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 this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Newtown Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from water damage isn’t only about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain or ground water, and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Newtown

The areas of rental property that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standards in Newtown include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Newtown for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for during the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to book your rental property home evaluation.