Healthy Homes Assessment Eastbourne

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 must ensure that their Eastbourne rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. needs to be completed and offer a report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes relevant fines.

We’re fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully qualified to evaluate each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

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Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed for an Eastbourne rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Eastbourne rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the required information within 21 days from receiving the request, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is completed, and must be updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s crucial to note that a landlord who manage multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are handed down for the most serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties could be fined as high as $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Call us today and request an home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Eastbourne, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, have less efficient heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses are associated with negative health outcomes, particularly ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Eastbourne rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health as well as lessen disturbance to learning, work and living due to diseases. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping within Eastbourne rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Eastbourne

Draughts are a major cause of low temperatures inside homes. A cold house is more expensive to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out from your house require seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the structure when the home is heated and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than sticking. We will check all windows and doors in the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Eastbourne

Eastbourne rental properties must have a fixed source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing installed heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), then it must have the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source such as the heat pump, it might need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Eastbourne

Every living space in a rental property must have at least one openable doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is about recognising how dry air will be easier to heat, and that the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or the skylight needs to be able to open to the outside, and stay closed to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other humidity-generating items will need proper extractor fan systems that vent towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is a healthy home

Insulation Eastbourne

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required on all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is up to current quality. In some instances, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, as well as making much easier for the household to hold the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Eastbourne Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently those things that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and cause damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Eastbourne

Rental property areas affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Eastbourne include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Eastbourne for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things you should look for in the home evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch now and schedule your rental properties home evaluation.