Healthy Homes Assessment Melling

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords now have to ensure that their Melling rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully certified by 1 July 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine whether it is in compliance with the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about the work that needs to be done, and offer a report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully certified to evaluate 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Melling rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a new or renewed lease is entered into on a Melling rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they can receive an infringement letter and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there is also a fine of up to $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

All information in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be correct before the tenancy agreement can be executed, and it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It’s important to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, and result in huge fines, in addition to still having to meet compliance. Do not risk your rental property, contact us today and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

One in three households from New Zealand and Melling, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, are not as efficient heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are associated with negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who report four or more major house quality problems often experience less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the standard of Melling rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living due to illnesses. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which results in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

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

Get started now and contact us about getting a Melling Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Melling

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within houses. A humid house will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out from your home require sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it may cause draughts and should be blocked off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure when the home heats and cools, to allow them to be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will inspect the windows and doors in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Melling

Melling rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that can heat the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to top up with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), then it must include an thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases like apartments with small spaces an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as the heat pump, it might just need an update in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard since they’re either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate or are unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Melling

Each liveable space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. In addition, humid areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about recognising how dried air can be more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or Skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Melling

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest standard. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated property will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and dampness and will also make an easier task to the household to keep the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 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 the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Melling Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently what you don’t see that can become a big problem that can cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to have efficient drainage to eliminate storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier typically a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Melling

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to Health Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Melling include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Melling for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to look over in an home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor insulated and is a ground water barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenant solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist assistance, get in touch today to book your rental property house assessment.