Healthy Homes Assessment Pauatahanui

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Pauatahanui rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy, and all private rental properties are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks that needs to be completed and offer a report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under 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 $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully certified to assess 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 Pauatahanui rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there could be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they are living in. If the landlord or the property manager doesn’t supply the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may be issued an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or false Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person responsible for this fine is whoever is named on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property, so it could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be kept updated throughout the tenancy as any associated work has been completed.

It is crucial to note that a landlord with multiple rental properties may receive greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and as much as $100,000 for hearing claims.

If you fail to meet your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and ask us to conduct an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households in New Zealand and Pauatahanui, and research indicates that rental houses are likely to be colder, older, have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who have reported four or more major issues with their housing often have poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improve the quality of Pauatahanui rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower maintenance costs in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught stopping within Pauatahanui rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Pauatahanui Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pauatahanui

Draughts can lead to dropping temperatures within homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unreasonable gaps and holes?

If you can feel external air entering or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a crack or a gap, then it’s most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in some way. Large cracks and gaps should be stopped permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out of the house need to be sealed. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be shut from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement within the building when the house heats and cools, so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will check all windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

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

Heating Pauatahanui

Pauatahanui rental properties must have a fixed heating source that can warm the largest or main living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental wellbeing.

The source of heating requirements to remain fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum capacity for heating required to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether the current fixed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up by adding a second heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under those following the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it requirements to include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. For most homes, larger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as an air conditioner, it may need some additional energy to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality because they’re inefficient, unaffordable to operate or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Pauatahanui

Every living space of a rental home must contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan to take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about acknowledging it is that dry air will be less difficult to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or the skylight needs to be able open to the outside and remain fixed in an open position to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens and any other area in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans that vent out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

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

A dry and warm house is a healthy house

Insulation Pauatahanui

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental homes from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must make sure that the insulation is in line with current quality. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of dampness and mould, and also makes much easier for the household to retain heat.

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

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

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area 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 this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pauatahanui Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from moisture isn’t just about the interior of the building it’s also about the outside. You must make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s frequently the things you don’t notice that can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate the stormwater and surface waters and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water is able to go, and that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between the floor and the surface, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground to prevent any moisture from the ground from entering the building. It also assists in preventing any damage to your underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pauatahanui

Property rental areas that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standard in Pauatahanui include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pauatahanui for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns you should look for in the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replacement or topping?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy home in relation to lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home assessment.