Healthy Homes Assessment Te Marua

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you be aware that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Te Marua rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rentals are required to be fully compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas covered in the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate the rental property you have in order to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about the work that needs to be completed and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes associated fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully certified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6792

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

From the 1st of July in 2021, if a new or renewed tenancy is signed on a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to each of Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the expected timeframe can result in a fine of up to $7200. In addition, if the current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t included in the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the property manager is unable to provide the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person responsible to pay this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord, or the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date at the time that the tenancy agreement is executed, and it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given 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.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet with massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property Contact us now and ask us to conduct a home assessment performed on the rental property you are renting.

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

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Te Marua, and research shows us that these rental homes are more likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and are of lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for ailments like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Enhancing the quality of Te Marua rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health, and lessen the interruption to learning, work and living because of illness. Your investment is also protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Te Marua rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about receiving a Te Marua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Marua

Draughts can lead to lower temperatures in houses. A cold home is more expensive to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or crack that requirements sealing in the way you can. Large cracks and gaps should be fixed permanently. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out into the house need the sealing. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for making sure that such draughts are squelched in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block up intentional holes or gaps in the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the building when the house heats and cools, in order to let them be closed and opened instead of than securing. We will check all windows and doors in your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

A good heating system is important for well-being homes

Heating Te Marua

Te Marua rental properties require a reliable heating source that can heat the main or largest living area to at minimum 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested 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), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living room. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether your current permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to "top-up" with an additional heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters like the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be suitable heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is an electric heater (or heat pump), it should have an thermostat. This makes the heating more consistent and efficient. For most properties, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In some instances, like small apartments small apartments, a smaller electric fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your living space already has a permanent heating source, such as the heat pump, it might just need an update to ensure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to achieve the standard because they’re expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Te Marua

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

This ventilation standard is about recognising how dry air will be much easier to heat and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway are not considered liveable and therefore are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or skylight requirements at least open to the outside while remaining closed to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your property with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will need suitable extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A comfortable, dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Te Marua

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is required to all rental houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers have to make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might require to be topped up or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can reduce condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making an easier task for the household to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to be in compliance with the R-values 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 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 the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Te Marua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the interior of the building but you must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and ground water to go, and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is usually the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and harming your tenant’s health.

Rental properties need to be equipped with efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is a vital aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental has an enclosed gap between your flooring and the ground, a ground moisture barrier must be installed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a polythene sheet laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps prevent from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

Find out all the details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage standard.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Marua

Property rental areas that are affected to Healthy Homes Standards. Healthy Homes Standards in Te Marua include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathroom
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Marua for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to look over during an home evaluation to determine if your rental property meets the minimum requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Are the floor spaces well-insulated? Is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Does the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently falling on the wrong side of a ruling on tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property home evaluation.