Healthy Homes Assessment Totara Park

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Totara Park rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals are required to 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 determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any tasks that needs to be completed, and offer a report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Inability to meet the standards of the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not complying may be liable for as much as $7,200 and additional healthy homes connected fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties as well as completely certified to assess both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now (04) 280 6792

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

As of 1st July 2021, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be done inside of 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new or renewed Tenancy is signed for the Totara Park rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Failure to comply with one of the Healthy Homes Standards within the anticipated timeframe could result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within an updated, renewed, or revised tenancy agreement, there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t supply the information requested within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement letter and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s also a penalty approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is listed on the tenancy agreement as the one who is leasing the property out It could also be the name of the landlord as well as the property management company.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current when the tenancy contract is signed, and ideally it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as related work is completed.

It’s also crucial to remember that landlords who have multiple rental properties may receive more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are reserved for the most serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in hearings.

It is clear that failure to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, with significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property Call us today and arrange to have a home assessment done 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 the property in New Zealand and Totara Park, and research indicates that rental homes are more likely to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower quality than the homes of owners.

Moldy, damp and cold homes are linked to negative health results, specifically for ailments like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four major issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower mental health.

The improvement in the standard of Totara Park rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the disruption to work, learning and daily life because of diseases. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould 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 Totara Park rental properties.

Start now and call about having a Totara Park Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Totara Park

Draughts can lead to low temperatures inside households. A cold home costs more to heat, which means wasting money and energy.

If a draft can be felt through gaps that are too large or holes the area needs to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see the air is clear from a gap or hole, then it’s probably a gap or an opening that requirements sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be permanently stopped. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air into or out of the house need the sealing. For example, if the open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This must be sealed off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for making sure that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

You don’t require to block off gaps or holes in the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows might be necessary to allow for movement within the structure as the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will examine all doors and windows in our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Check out the complete details to the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Totara Park

Totara Park rental properties should have a permanent source of heating that can heat the living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors suggested by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heat requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum required heating capacity in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Unflued combustion and open fire heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating (or heat pump), it must include an thermostat. This will make the heating more consistent and efficient. For the majority of homes, bigger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In certain situations, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If your main living space is already equipped with a fixed heating source, like heat pumps, it might require a top up to make sure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be used to meet the quality since they’re either expensive, inefficient or unsafe to operate.

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

Ventilation Totara Park

Each living space within a rental property has to contain at minimum one open doors or windows to provide natural airflow. In addition, humid spaces like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

This ventilation quality is all about recognising that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to be a victim of mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining areas are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus are not require an opening door or window.

Each door, window or Skylight requirements at least open to the outside, and stay closed in order to allow ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath cooker or any other water-generating appliance will require adequate extractor fans that vent towards the outside. This Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is a healthy house

Insulation Totara Park

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory on all rental houses as of July 1st, 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to make sure that the insulation meets the new standard. In certain situations, the an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may require to be added or replaced.

A well-insulated house will help to control condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and dampness and it will make much easier for the household to hold warmth.

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

The "R" refers to thermal resistance and is a measure of how well insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 in the underfloor, 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 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Totara Park Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from water damage isn’t only about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and prevent it from getting into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it is often not apparent that it can become a big problem and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with efficient drainage to remove floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure that the water has a location to go and that it doesn’t sit beneath buildings is an essential part of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to a drainage system to prevent moisture ingress, if your rental is enclosed between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the building. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Totara Park

Areas of rental properties that are impacted by The Healthy Homes Standard in Totara Park include each:

• Living Rooms
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathrooms
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Totara Park for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of concerns to be able to examine when conducting the house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Does the ceiling insulation need topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy Home with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can have a significant impact for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today and book your rental properties house evaluation.