Healthy Homes Assessment Normandale

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Normandale rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be completed and provide an assessment report that includes all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthier homes associated fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental property, in addition, we’re fully qualified for both 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, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Normandale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be done inside of 90 days.

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Normandale rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. Additionally, if a existing 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 regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could be issued an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who provide a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy contract as the person leasing the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It is also important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties may face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are given for serious violations, and landlords who own at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000, or as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

It is clear that failure to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and request an home assessment done for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Normandale, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older and have less efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes can have negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. Furthermore, people who experience at least four major house quality problems often experience low life satisfaction and reduced psychological well-being.

Improve the standard of Normandale rental property can allow tenants to experience better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a list of the specific and minimum standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught stopping on Normandale rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss receiving a Normandale Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Normandale

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in houses. A draughty home will cost more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draught is perceived as a result of 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 an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole or crack, then it is probably a gap or hole which needs sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out from the house need seals. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be blocked off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block off holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow movement of the building as the household heats and cools, to allow them to be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will check all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for healthy houses

Heating Normandale

Rental properties in Normandale should have a permanent source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating or heat pump, it must have a thermostat. This will help make your heating more consistent and effective. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater could be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source, such as heat pumps, it could need an upgrade to be able to meet the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Normandale

Each liveable space in the rental property should have at least one opening door or window to offer natural airflow. In addition, high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is about recognising that dried air can be more easy to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable , and thus do not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight needs to have the ability of opening to the outside and remain set in an opening position to allow to circulate fresh air as well as ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require suitable extractor fans which are vented to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

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

A cozy dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Normandale

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is a requirement to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In certain situations, the existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier to the household to hold the heat.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder part 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Normandale Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow and also stop it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water is able to go and that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture in the ground from getting into the home. It also helps prevent water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Normandale

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by the Healthy Homes Standards in Normandale include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Normandale for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to check during the home assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. Some examples include:

• Is the space under the floor well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Does the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the house has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home in accordance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can have a significant impact for property owners and landlords. For expert advice get in touch today to book your rental property home assessment.