Healthy Homes Assessment Oriental Bay

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 ensure their Oriental Bay rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely certified by 1 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 to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. needs to be completed, and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as fully qualified 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, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on an Oriental Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on the Oriental Bay rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s important to remember that landlords who manage multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in large fines in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and arrange to have a home assessment done for your rental property.

Get the full description of details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Oriental Bay, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improve the standard of Oriental Bay rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Oriental Bay rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Oriental Bay Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Oriental Bay

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in houses. A cold house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a hole or gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole which requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within the home require the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated as far as imaginable.

You don’t need to block off holes or gaps in the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for the movement of the structure when the household heats and cools, to allow them to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will examine every window and door during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay rental properties must have a fixed heating source that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The source of heating needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and it must have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to "top up" with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat source, it needs to be equipped with an thermostat. This will help make the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source such as the heat pump, it may require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Oriental Bay

Each living space within the rental property should include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation quality is all about acknowledging how the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or Skylight needs for them to be in a position open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath cooker or any other water-generating appliance will need appropriate extractor fans that can be vented to the outdoors. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Oriental Bay

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and also makes much easier to allow the house to retain the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 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 standard.

Oriental Bay Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often what you don’t see that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and also that it doesn’t sit beneath structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from getting into the structure. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Find out all the details of The Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Oriental Bay

Rental property areas affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Oriental Bay include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Oriental Bay for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over in the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call now and schedule your rental property home assessment.