Healthy Homes Assessment Hongoeka

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 must ensure that their Hongoeka rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. needs to be done and offer the report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, and are fully qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6793

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 Hongoeka rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be completed inside of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the renewal, new or revised tenancy contract, it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the property manager does not provide the information requested within 21 days from receiving the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who offer a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person responsible for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the person who is who is letting the property and it could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated throughout the tenancy as any necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is important to keep in mind that landlords with several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down for severe violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to comply with your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in massive fines as well as still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Contact us now and request an home assessment performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Hongoeka, and research has shown that these rental houses are most likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who experience four or more key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Hongoeka rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living because of illnesses. Your investment will also be better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Hongoeka rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss getting a Hongoeka Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hongoeka

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in houses. A damp home will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it is most likely a gap or crack that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out into your house require to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it may cause draughts and should be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows may be required to allow for movement within the structure when the house warms and cools so that they can still be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being homes

Heating Hongoeka

Rental properties in Hongoeka need to have a stable source of heating that can heat the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fixed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater or heat source, it should include a thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and efficient. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may suffice.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it might just require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Certain types of heaters cannot be used to achieve the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

See the full details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hongoeka

Every living space in a rental home must include at least one open door or window to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas such as kitchens and bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

It is the ventilation standard is all about acknowledging how dried air can be much easier to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

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

Each window, door , or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, and stay at an open angle to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home that has shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will need suitable extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is an ideal home

Insulation Hongoeka

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory for all rent houses from 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers must ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and will also make it easier for the home to keep the heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Hongoeka Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it is frequently what you don’t see that could become a major issue and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a proper place to go and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the apartment has an enclosed gap between your floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the property. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hongoeka

Rental property areas affected by Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Hongoeka include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hongoeka for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to be able to examine in an house assessment to see if your rental property is in compliance with the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a Tenancy services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to book your rental property home evaluation.