Healthy Homes Assessment Homedale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure that their Homedale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered in 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 the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work required. requirements to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as completely qualified to evaluate 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, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Homedale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks must be done by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t provide the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they can receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

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

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It’s crucial to remember that a landlord who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches, and landlords with at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have a home inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent in New Zealand and Homedale, and research suggests that rental homes tend to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more major house quality problems often experience lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Homedale rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

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

Contact us now to discuss the Homedale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Homedale

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draft can be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it’s likely to be a gap or an opening that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks and gaps that are large should be sealed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from the house require the sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring such draughts are eliminated as far as possible.

You don’t require to block holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement within the building when the home warms and cools so that they can still be opened and closed rather than securing. We will inspect all doors and windows in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being homes

Heating Homedale

Rental properties in Homedale require a reliable source of heat that can heat the largest or main living space to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heat needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine if the fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it should be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source, such as heat pumps, it may need a top up to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the standard since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Homedale

Every living space in the rental property should have at least one openable window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

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

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

Every window, door or skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside while remaining closed to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, as well as any other space in your property with shower, bath cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas of high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Homedale

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory for all rent homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure the insulation meets this new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and it will make it easier to allow the home to keep warmth.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Homedale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the inside it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it is often not apparent that it could become a major issue, causing damages to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water is able to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to stop any moisture in the ground from rising into the property. It also helps in preventing any damage to your underfloor 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 Homedale

The areas of rental property that are affected through The Healthy Homes Standard in Homedale include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Homedale for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine during the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a waterproofing barrier?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replacement or topping?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an Tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental property house assessment.