Healthy Homes Assessment Belmont

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Belmont rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess the rental property you have in order to determine whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any work that needs to be completed, and offer a report with all the necessary information for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, as well as completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6791

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Belmont rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on the Belmont rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or false Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to note that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given only for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, with large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property call us now and arrange to have a house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Check out the complete details of the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Belmont, and research suggests that rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who report four or more major housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Improving the standard of Belmont rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health as well as lessen disruption to work, learning and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will also be better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping in Belmont rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Belmont Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Belmont

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole that is, it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be permanently stopped. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out within your house require to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent possible.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the house warms and cools to allow them to be opened and closed rather than securing. We will examine every window and door in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Belmont

Belmont rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the largest or main living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The source of heat needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to top up by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the main living room is already equipped with a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it could require some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard as they are either costly, not affordable to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Belmont

Every living space in a rental home must have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about acknowledging that dry air will be much easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable areas. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus do not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements to have the ability to open to the outside, and stay set in an opening position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans which are vented towards the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas of high moisture.

Check out the complete details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Belmont

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required on all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and damp, as well as making it easier for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder of the 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

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Belmont Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface and ground water to go and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s usually those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the property. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring 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 Belmont

Rental property areas affected to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standard in Belmont include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Belmont for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things to look over when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.