Healthy Homes Assessment Te Marua

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 must make sure their Te Marua rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties are required to be completely in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The subjects covered in 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’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be done and offer a report with all the information required to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes connected fines.

We are completely independent assessors of rental property, and are completely certified to evaluate 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 tenancy is signed on a Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be done inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Te Marua rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to meet one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if a existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in an updated, renewed, or amended tenancy agreement there may be additional penalties or an infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to 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 supply the required information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they will receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or other information. The person liable 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.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it is updated through the tenancy period as relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to note that landlords who have several rental properties can face even higher fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for the most serious violations. Those who have six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearing claims.

If you fail to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your wallet and result in huge fines, in addition to continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property, contact us today and arrange to have an home assessment done for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so Important?

A majority of households from New Zealand and Te Marua, and research has shown that these rental homes are likely to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be of poorer standard than those owned by owners.

Moldy, damp and cold houses are associated with negative well-being results, specifically for ailments like colds and influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, those who report at least four key housing quality problems frequently have lower levels of satisfaction with life and a decrease in mental health.

Improving the quality of Te Marua rental property can allow tenants to experience better mental and physical health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to illness. Your investment is also better safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less maintenance costs in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of specific and minimum requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well as Draught Stopping for Te Marua rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Te Marua Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Te Marua

Draughts may lead to lower temperatures in houses. A damp home is more expensive to heat, meaning wasting energy and increased bills.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is probably a gap or hole that needs sealing in any way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out within your home need sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and should be shut from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block holes or gaps that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement within the building as the home warms and cools so that they are able to be opened and closed rather than being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being houses

Heating Te Marua

Rental properties in Te Marua need to have a stable heating source which can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18degC, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The source of heating needs for it to be permanent (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. The Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ by adding a second heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in The Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater or heat source, it needs to include a thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and efficient. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. In certain situations, like small apartment buildings the smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your living space already has a fixed heating source, like an air conditioner, it might require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be utilised to meet the quality because they’re not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Te Marua

Each liveable space in a rental property has to have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan to eliminate moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising the fact that the dry atmosphere is much easier to heat and heat, and a property that is well ventilated is less likely to develop mould and damp.

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

Each window, door or skylight needs at least to open up to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems which are vented towards the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan for areas that are high in moisture.

Learn more about The Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A comfortable, dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Te Marua

Underfloor and ceiling insulation is required in all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords have to make sure the insulation meets standards that are in line with the latest quality. In some instances, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space may need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated can help control condensation and reduce the chances of dampness and mould, and it will make much easier to allow the household to keep warmth.

Insulation needs to be in compliance with the R-values that are appropriate for your region.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 Underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and floor 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.

Te Marua Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building but you must make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move, and also stop it from getting inside. When it is damp and moisture, it is frequently those concerns that you aren’t aware of that could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment and harming the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water and ground water, which includes an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water has a proper place to go, and it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of maintaining your property’s dry.

Alongside an irrigation system to stop moisture from entering, if your apartment has an enclosed gap between the floor and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

A ground moisture barrier is generally a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground to prevent any moisture that is present in the ground from getting into the structure. It also helps in preventing water damage to the floor insulation.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Te Marua

Property rental areas that are affected through the Healthy Homes Standard in Te Marua include each:

• Living Room
• Bedroom
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Te Marua for Rental Properties

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

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home 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 falling on the wrong side of an Tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional advice, call now and schedule your rental properties house assessment.