Healthy Homes Assessment Cannons Creek

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Cannons Creek rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals are required to be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any tasks which requirements to be done, and provide the report with all the details required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards under the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes associated fines.

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

Call Now (04) 280 6793

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Cannons Creek rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished inside of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Cannons Creek rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of within 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy contract, there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Any tenant may request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they could receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that a landlord with several rental properties can face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket with significant fines and continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and ask us to conduct a home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Cannons Creek, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older and are not as efficient heating, and generally have lower quality than the houses of owners.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses such as colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who experience at least four major housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the standard of Cannons Creek rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to health issues. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, and Draught-stopping on Cannons Creek rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Cannons Creek Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Cannons Creek

Draughts increase the likelihood of dropping temperatures within homes. A humid home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap that is, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air in or out from the home require the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it can cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as much as possible.

You don’t need to block off gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the building as the household gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than being stuck. We will check every window and door as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is crucial for well-being homes

Heating Cannons Creek

Rental properties in Cannons Creek require a reliable heating source that can warm the largest or main living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental wellbeing.

The heating source needs for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) and at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and must meet the minimum capacity for heating required in the living area. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it must have an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in some cases such as small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, such as heat pumps, it may require some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Cannons Creek

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening door or window to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation quality is all about recognising that dried air can be more easy to heat and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway are not considered liveable and don’t require an opening door or window.

Each window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position, allowing for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, as well as any other space in your home that has a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture-producing item will require appropriate extractor fans that vent to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in each livable space with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Cannons Creek

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required in all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure the insulation meets the new quality. In some instances, old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make more easy to the house to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

The "R" stands for thermal resistance and it is a measurement of how well insulation resists heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

Cannons Creek Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it’s typically what you don’t see that could become a major issue that can cause damage to your investment and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties require to be equipped with efficient drainage for the removal of the stormwater and surface waters, and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground to prevent any moisture in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Cannons Creek

Rental property areas affected to Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Cannons Creek include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Cannons Creek for Rental Properties

There are many concerns to check during an house evaluation to determine if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property owners and landlords. For professional advice get in touch today to book your rental property house evaluation.