Healthy Homes Assessment Haywards

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must ensure their Haywards rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work which requirements to be done and provide an assessment report that includes all the information needed 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 conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely qualified to evaluate both 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 or renewed tenancy is signed on a Haywards rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on the Haywards rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy contract, there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of as much as $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease agreement as being the person who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as 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 is updated through the tenancy period as associated work has been completed.

It is important to note that landlords with several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t take a chance with your rental property call us now and request an home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Haywards, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally are of lower standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses can have negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who experience at least four key issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower mental health.

Improving the standard of Haywards rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and reduce the disturbance to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment will be protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which results in lower maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping within Haywards rental properties.

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

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Haywards

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside houses. A humid home costs more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a gap or hole or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the house require seals. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as possible.

You don’t need to block holes or gaps which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow movement of the structure as the house warms and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Haywards

Haywards rental properties should have a permanent source of heat that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the 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 heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) and at minimum 1.5 horsepower in capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the existing fix heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat source, then it must have an thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it might just require an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Haywards

Every living space of a rental home must have at least one openable door or window to provide natural ventilation. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can eliminate moisture.

The ventilation quality is all about understanding how dry air is more easy to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

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

Every window, door or skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, but remain fixed in an open position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your house that houses shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry home is a healthy house

Insulation Haywards

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords should ensure that the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and it will make an easier task to allow the household to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 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 quality.

Haywards Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often what you don’t see that could become a major issue and cause damages to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with efficient drainage to remove rainwater, storm water, and ground water, which includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture that is present in the ground from entering the property. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Haywards

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to the Healthy Homes Standard in Haywards include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Haywards for Rental Properties

There are many things to look over when conducting an house review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call today and book your rental property home assessment.