Healthy Homes Assessment Maungaraki

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Maungaraki rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st 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 if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work which requirements to be done, and provide a report with all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes relevant fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental properties we are completely qualified 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, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items have to be done within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, if a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Maungaraki rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished within 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of receiving the request, they will be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable to pay this fine is the one who is identified on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out which could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any necessary work related to it is finished.

It’s also important to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face greater penalties for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties can be fined as high as $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with large fines in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and make arrangements to have an house assessment performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

Around 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Maungaraki, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, have less efficient heating and have lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more key home quality issues often suffer from lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in well-being.

Enhancing the standard of Maungaraki rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illness. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control on Maungaraki rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Maungaraki Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Maungaraki

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A damp home will cost more to heat, meaning wasting money and energy.

If a draught can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or an unobstructed draught coming from a crack or a gap and you are able to feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out into the home need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they can still be opened and closed rather than securing. We will examine all windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial to ensure healthy houses

Heating Maungaraki

Maungaraki rental properties need to have a stable source of heating which can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e. not portable) and at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity and have the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current installed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to ‘top up’ with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is an electric heater or heat pump then it must include a thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and effective. For most houses, larger fixed heating equipment like heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like a heat pump, then it may require an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details regarding the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Maungaraki

Every living space of a rental home must have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising that dry air is much easier to heat and heat, and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Each window, door , or skylight needs to have the ability open to the outside and remain fixed in an open position, allowing to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and every other room of your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Maungaraki

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is mandatory to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to make sure that the insulation is in line with standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated property can help control condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness, and will also make more easy for the house to keep the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values required for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Maungaraki Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s usually those things that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem, causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to get rid of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between floorboards and soil, a ground-water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the property. 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 Maungaraki

Areas of rental properties that are impacted with the Healthy Homes Standard in Maungaraki include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Maungaraki for Rental Properties

There are many things you should look for in the house review to determine if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require replenishment or replacement?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of a tenant solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties house assessment.