Healthy Homes Assessment Normandale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Normandale 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 certified by 1 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 meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work needed to be completed. requirements to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the information required for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties as well as fully certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6791

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed for a Normandale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work need to be completed by the end of 90 days.

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

Inability to adhere to any of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement notification and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords or property managers providing a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person who is letting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be current when the tenancy contract is signed. It is updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is also important to note that a landlord who have several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches, and landlords with six or more properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with massive fines as well as having to continue to comply. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and make arrangements to have an home assessment performed on your rental property.

See the full details for the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

Around 1 in 3 households in New Zealand and Normandale, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower standard than those owned by owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are linked to negative health outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major issues with their housing often have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the standard of Normandale rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the disruption to work, learning and living because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Normandale rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Normandale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Normandale

Draughts may lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or a clear draught from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from your house need seals. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed as far as imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for the movement of the building when the household is heated and cools to allow them to be closed and opened rather than being stuck. We will inspect all doors and windows in an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Normandale

Rental properties in Normandale must have a fixed heating source 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 temperature indoors 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) and at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have 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 fixed 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 acceptable heating options for Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it needs to be equipped with the thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating devices such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like small apartment buildings small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it could require an upgrade to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

Check out the complete details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Normandale

Each living space within a rental house must contain at minimum one open door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

A ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dried air can be more easy to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable , and thus do not require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside while remaining set in an opening position, allowing the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with shower, bath cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans that are vented to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Normandale

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space might require to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and will also make more easy to allow the house to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

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

• 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

Check out the complete details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Normandale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface and underground water to flow, and stop it from coming inside. When it is damp and moisture, it’s often not apparent that it could become a major issue and end up causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a proper place to go and that it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an crucial aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, to block any moisture from the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Normandale

Property rental areas that are affected by the Healthy Homes Standard in Normandale include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Normandale for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over in an house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation need replacement or topping?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of the tenancy services ruling can be significant for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental property house assessment.