Healthy Homes Assessment Hutt Central

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Hutt Central rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be fully conforming by the 1st 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 whether it’s in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. needs to be completed, and offer the report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties in addition, we’re completely certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6791

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Hutt Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be completed within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Hutt Central rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant may request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant may be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty as much as $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Compliance Statement needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to remember that landlords who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket resulting in large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Don’t risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have an home assessment done on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Hutt Central, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating, and generally have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported four or more key issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Hutt Central rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

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

Begin now by calling about the Hutt Central Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hutt Central

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A humid house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or a clear draught from a crack or a gap or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into your house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes in the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the building as the home warms and cools in order to let them be opened and closed rather than securing. We will inspect the windows and doors during your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Hutt Central

Rental properties in Hutt Central must have a fixed source of heating which can warm the living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the most 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 source of heating needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current permanent heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options in those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should have a thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source such as heat pumps, it might require an upgrade to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Hutt Central

Each liveable space in a rental house must have at least one opening door or window to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an venting fan outside to remove moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that dry air is less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each door, window or skylight needs to be able of opening to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your house that houses a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that vent towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Hutt Central

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure the insulation meets this new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and also makes much easier to the household to keep the heat.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a measure of how well the insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective 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 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Hutt Central Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside but you must make sure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it is usually what you don’t see that can become a big problem, causing damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have effective drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hutt Central

Property rental areas that are affected with The Healthy Homes Standards in Hutt Central include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hutt Central for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to be able to examine when conducting the house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for property managers and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental property house assessment.