Healthy Homes Assessment Tawa

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Tawa rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks needed to be completed. needs to be done, and offer a report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified for 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, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Tawa rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Tawa 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 by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in a new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is crucial to remember that landlords with multiple rental properties could face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Tawa, and research indicates that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, people who experience at least four key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Tawa rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and daily life because of illnesses. Your investment is also protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means lower maintenance costs over the long term.

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 within Tawa rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Tawa Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Tawa

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within houses. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a crack or a gap and you can feel it, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out from your home require to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t require to block off holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the building when the house is heated and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will examine all windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is crucial for healthy homes

Heating Tawa

Rental properties in Tawa need to have a stable source of heating that can heat the largest or main living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most 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 as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump, it should have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a permanent heating source, like a heat pump, then it could need an upgrade to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the standard because they’re costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information on details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Tawa

Every living space in a rental property must include at least one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an venting fan outside to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about understanding how the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus do not require an opening window or door.

Each window, door or skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will need adequate extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Tawa

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is mandatory in all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and also makes more easy to the household to keep heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The greater 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, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Tawa 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 make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s usually what you don’t see that could become a major issue and cause the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water. This includes 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.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between the floor and the ground, a ground water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps prevent any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Tawa

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Tawa for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for during the home assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property home evaluation.