Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley Heights

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Kingsley Heights rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely certified by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can evaluate your rental property to determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the work needed to be completed. needs to be done and offer an evaluation report with all the information required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and landlords who are not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties we are fully certified to evaluate both 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, when a brand new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Kingsley Heights rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Inability to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated within a new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there could be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to provide the necessary information within 21 days from being informed of the request, they will receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty of up to $900 for property owners or property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person who is liable for this fine is whoever is named on the lease agreement as the one who is leasing the property out which could be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is signed. It should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as relevant work gets completed.

It is also important to remember that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are given for severe violations. Those who have six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account resulting in significant fines and still having to meet compliance. Don’t take a chance with your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a house inspection performed on the rental property you are renting.

Find the full information on how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance important?

A majority of households in New Zealand and Kingsley Heights, and research shows us that these rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

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

Enhancing the standard of Kingsley Heights rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and living because of health issues. Your investment will also be better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well Draught-stopping for Kingsley Heights rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss the Kingsley Heights Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley Heights

Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in households. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draught is perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air entering or the air is clear out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s probably a gap or hole that requirements sealing in some way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and allow air to enter or exit from the house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it can cause draughts and should be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no require to cover up holes or gaps which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the structure when the house is heated and cools in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test every window and door during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are important for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley Heights

Rental properties in Kingsley Heights should have a permanent source of heating that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC, even during the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) with at minimum 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to check if your current fix 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 for The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is electric heating or heat pump, then it must be equipped with an thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a central heating source such as a heat pump, then it could require an upgrade in order to comply with the standards. Some types of heaters can’t be used to comply with the quality since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate or are unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications for details on Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Kingsley Heights

Every living space in the rental property should contain at minimum one open window or exterior door to provide natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms need to have an venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

A ventilation quality is all about understanding that dried air can be less difficult to heat and an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore do not need an opening door or window.

Every window, door or Skylight needs to be able to open up to the outside, and stay at an open angle in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other room in your house that houses a bath, shower, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate air circulation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable in high moisture areas.

See the full details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is an ideal house

Insulation Kingsley Heights

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor is required to all rental homes as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure the insulation meets this new standard. In some cases, current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the sub floor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A well-insulated house will reduce the risk of condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, as well as making more easy to the house to retain warmth.

Insulation requirements 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 the insulation resists heat flow. The more high the R-value, more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest of the 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 and underfloor R 1.3

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingsley Heights Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from dampness isn’t just about the inside it’s also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain and underground water to flow, and prevent it from getting inside. When it is about damp and water, it is typically what you don’t see that can become a big problem and end up causing damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties must have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a place to go, and that it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture that is present in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley Heights

The areas of rental property that are affected by Health Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standards in Kingsley Heights include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley Heights for Rental Properties

There are a variety of things you should look for when conducting the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Are the floor spaces insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require to be topped up or replaced?
• Do you think the heating system has enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? the draught is stopped?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an Tenancy solutions ruling can be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist guidance, contact us now and schedule your rental properties house evaluation.