Healthy Homes Assessment Pinehaven

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Pinehaven rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals must be fully conforming by the 1st July 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We can assess your rental property to check whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks required. requirements to be done, and offer the report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is completely independent assessors of rental properties, and are completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6792

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Pinehaven rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on the Pinehaven rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the anticipated timeframe could result in an amount of $7200. In addition, if the present Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Anyone can request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the home they live in. If the landlord or property manager is unable to provide the necessary information within 21 days from receiving the request, they will receive an infringement notice and be fined as high as $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords and property managers who have provided a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy contract as the person letting the property out which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed. It should be maintained throughout the tenancy as any related work is completed.

It is important to note that landlords who have several rental properties can face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved only for serious violations. Those who have at least six rental properties could be penalised up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

If you fail to meet compliance with Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet hard, resulting in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t put your rental at risk. property Call us today and request an house assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Pinehaven, and research shows us that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than homes that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, asthma, as well as cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who report at least four key housing quality problems frequently have low life satisfaction and reduced mental wellbeing.

Improving the standard of Pinehaven rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved mental and physical health, and lessen the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment is also better secured from mildew, mould and damp damage, meaning lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Control for Pinehaven rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Pinehaven Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pinehaven

Draughts may lead to less temperature in houses. A draughty house will cost more to heat, meaning wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

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

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see a clear draught from a gap or hole and you can feel it, it’s most likely a gap or hole which needs sealing in any way. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out of your house need to be sealed. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t in use it can create draughts. This should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are responsible for making sure that these draughts are stopped whenever possible.

You don’t need to cover up gaps or holes that are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the home heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened rather instead of being stuck. We will examine the windows and doors as part of an Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details for the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Adequate heaters are important to ensure healthy homes

Heating Pinehaven

Rental properties in Pinehaven require a reliable heating source which can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable), at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and meet the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should have a thermostat. This makes your heating more consistent and efficient. In most homes, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters will be required. However, in some cases such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a permanent heating source such as an air conditioner, it may need some additional energy in order to comply with the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Find the complete specifications to details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pinehaven

Each liveable space in a rental house must contain at minimum one open door or window to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas such as kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan to remove moisture.

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

Bedrooms, living spaces, kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or the skylight needs at least to open to the outside while remaining closed, allowing the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other area in your home with a bath, shower cooker or any other moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans which are vented to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

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

A warm dry house is an ideal house

Insulation Pinehaven

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory to all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may require to be topped up or replaced.

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

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values required for your area

The "R" refers to thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation withstands heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest part 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 and underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Pinehaven Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building It’s about having to ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move, and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damage to your investment as well as affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties must be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it can’t linger underneath the structures is a crucial aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

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 building. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pinehaven

The areas of rental property that are affected to the Healthy Homes Standard in Pinehaven include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pinehaven for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to check during an home review to determine if your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. The most common are:

• Does the subfloor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an tenancy services ruling can be significant for property owners and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to book your rental property house assessment.