Healthy Homes Assessment Clouston Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Clouston Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rentals must be completely conforming by the 1st July 2024.

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

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. needs to be done and provide an evaluation report with all the information needed for your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, in addition, we’re completely qualified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6792

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a brand new or renewed contract is signed on a Clouston Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the deadlines can result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included within an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there could be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager fails to supply the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a fine of approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the tenancy agreement as being the person letting the property out and it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It is important to be aware that landlords who have several rental properties can face greater penalties for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious breaches, and landlords with more than six properties could be fined as high as $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to your Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and ask us to conduct a house assessment performed on your rental property.

Get the full description of this law. Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance important?

One in three households the property in New Zealand and Clouston Park, and research has shown that these rental houses are more likely to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. In addition, people who report at least four key issues with their housing often have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improve the standard of Clouston Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and reduce the disruptions to their work, education and daily life due to illnesses. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damage, meaning less maintenance costs over the long term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Clouston Park rental properties.

Begin now by calling about the Clouston Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clouston Park

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in houses. A damp house is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a gap or hole that is, it’s most likely a gap or hole that requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be stopped permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air in or out into the house need seals. For instance, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can cause draughts and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as far as imaginable.

There is no need to cover up holes or gaps that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors might be necessary to allow for movement of the structure as the home gets warmer and cooler, in order to let them be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will check all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Find the complete specifications regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Clouston Park

Rental properties in Clouston Park require a reliable source of heat that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even during the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The heating source needs to be fixed (i.e., not portable), at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living room. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the existing permanent heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will require to "top up" with an additional heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump it needs to have a thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and effective. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. In certain situations, like 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 may require a top up to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to comply with the standard as they are either expensive, inefficient and/or unsafe to run.

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

Ventilation Clouston Park

Each liveable space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens or bathrooms need to have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about recognising it is that dry air will be more easy to heat and heat, and a well ventilated rental property is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore are not need an opening door or window.

Each window, door or skylight requirements to be able of opening to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens as well as any other space in your property with a bath, shower cooker or any other humidity-generating items will require suitable extractor fans that can be vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient air circulation in every living space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Clouston Park

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation meets current standard. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the subfloor space might require to be filled with or replaced.

A well-insulated house can help control condensation and lower the chance of dampness and mould, and will also make it easier to allow the home to retain heat.

Insulation requirements 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 can withstand heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the 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 quality.

Clouston Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about what’s inside the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and ground water to go, and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s typically the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and also 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 moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it is reasonably practicable to install it.

The ground-moisture barrier generally an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from rising into the building. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clouston Park

Areas of rental properties that are impacted to The Healthy Homes Standards in Clouston Park include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clouston Park for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to look over when conducting the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. The most common are:

• Is the sub floor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with lawful Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice, call today to schedule your rental properties house assessment.