Healthy Homes Assessment Gracefield

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Gracefield rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

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

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord, or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy contract is completed, and must be updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s important to remember that a landlord who have multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent homes in New Zealand and Gracefield, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating and are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as heart diseases. In addition, people who reported at least four key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Gracefield rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to diseases. Your investment will be safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping in Gracefield rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Gracefield Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Draught Stopping Gracefield

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside households. A damp house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit within your home require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional 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 home heats and cools, to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check every window and door during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Heating Gracefield

Rental properties in Gracefield need to have a stable source of heating that can heat the{ main or largest|| largest or main| principal or the biggest} living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on 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 health as well as their mental health.

The source of heating needs to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 horsepower in capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if the current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it should be equipped with a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a fixed heating source like an air conditioner, it might just need some additional energy to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details regarding details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Gracefield

Every living space of a rental property must include at least one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging the fact that dry air is more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway are not considered living spaces and therefore don’t need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight requirements to have the ability open to the outside, but remain closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and every other room of your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will need appropriate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

Insulation Gracefield

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is a requirement in all rental homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is up to the new quality. In some cases, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make it easier to allow the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements 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 insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest part 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

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Gracefield Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from moisture isn’t just about the inside of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is usually the concerns you don’t notice that can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of rainwater, storm water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps to prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Rental Property Home Assessments Gracefield

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Gracefield include each:

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

Home Assessments Gracefield for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine when conducting the home inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.