Healthy Homes Assessment Harbour View

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords now have to ensure their Harbour View rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6791

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Harbour View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Harbour View rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of up to $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person leasing the property out and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down only for serious breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in huge fines, in addition to still being required to adhere to the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have an house evaluation performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Harbour View, and research suggests that rental homes are likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Enhancing the standard of Harbour View rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and daily life due to illness. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping on Harbour View rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Harbour View

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within households. A humid house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s most likely a gap or hole which requirements sealing in any way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit into the home require sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed as much as imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the building when the home warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy homes

Heating Harbour View

Rental properties in Harbour View require a reliable source of heat that can heat the largest or main living space to at least 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to "top-up" by adding a second heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters, such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to include a thermostat. This will make your heating more consistent and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances like small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source, like an air conditioner, it could require a top up in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Harbour View

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising that dry air is more easy to heat and that the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living 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 needs to be able of opening to the outside, but remain at an open angle in order to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Harbour View

Ceiling and underfloor insulation is required for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers have to ensure that the insulation is up to standards that are in line with the latest standard. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, and it will make an easier task to the household to retain heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values of your area.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well insulation is able to resist 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 rest area 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, underfloor R 1.3

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

Harbour View Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and prevent it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the home. It also assists in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Harbour View

Property rental areas that are affected to Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard in Harbour View include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Harbour View for Rental Properties

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

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? require to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.