Healthy Homes Assessment Clive

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? Landlords are now required to ensure their Clive rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be fully in compliance by July 1st 2024.

The areas covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will evaluate your rental property and determine whether it meets NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager of any work which requirements 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 meet the obligations to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7200 plus any additional healthy homes related fines.

We’re completely independent assessors of rental properties, we are fully qualified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Clive rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be done within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, when a new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for a Clive rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be completed within 90 days.

Failure to adhere to all of the Healthy Homes Standards within the expected timeframe can result in an amount of $7200. Furthermore, if a current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the new, renewed or amended tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or infringement fee.

Any tenant can ask for information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they reside in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days of having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter 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 incorrect Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is named on the lease contract as the person renting the property, so it could be the landlord’s name or the property management company.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be current at the time that the tenancy agreement is signed, and ideally it is updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any related work is completed.

It’s important to be aware that landlords with multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The harshest penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be penalised up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

If you fail to adhere to requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, and result in large fines in addition to still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and ask us to conduct an house assessment 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 so important?

A majority of households rent homes in New Zealand and Clive, and research suggests that rental houses are more likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy houses can have negative health outcomes, particularly diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Furthermore, people who report four or more major home quality issues often suffer from low life satisfaction and reduced mental health.

Improve the standard of Clive rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will also be better protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means less maintenance costs 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 Draught Control on Clive rental properties.

Start now and call about getting a Clive Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Clive

Draughts may lead to less temperature in households. A damp home will cost more to heat, which results in wasting energy and resulting in higher bills.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area 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 out of a hole or gap, then it’s most likely a gap or hole that needs sealing in some way. Cracks and gaps that are large should be fixed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air to enter or exit into your house need seals. For example, if the open fireplace isn’t being used, it may cause draughts and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure such draughts are eliminated whenever possible.

You don’t require to block up intentional holes or gaps which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be necessary to allow movement of the structure when the home warms and cools so that they can still be shut and opened, rather than securing. We will examine all windows and doors as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Clive

Clive rental properties must have a fixed source of heating that is able to heat the main or largest living room to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements for it to be permanent (i.e., not portable) and at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and meet the minimum required heating capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if your current installed heater(s) are adequate or whether you will need to top up with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options in Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you offer is electric heating (or heat pump), it should be equipped with a thermostat. This will make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most properties, larger heaters that are fixed, such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. In some instances, like apartments with small spaces, a smaller fixed electric heater might be enough.

If the living area already has a permanent heating source like a heat pump, then it may need some additional energy to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the quality because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unsafe to run.

See the full details for details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Clive

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. In addition, high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable externally vented extractor to take moisture away.

This ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is less difficult to heat and that an apartment that is well-ventilated will be less prone to developing mould and damp.

Bedrooms, living rooms kitchens, and dining rooms are considered to be liveable spaces. Spaces that connect, such as the hallway aren’t liveable and don’t require an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open up to the outside, but remain set in an opening position in order to allow the circulation of fresh air and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your property with shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented towards the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will check that there is adequate ventilation throughout the living spaces, including suitable extractor fans for areas that are high in moisture.

See the full details of The Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A warm dry house is an ideal home

Insulation Clive

The insulation of the ceiling and underfloor has been compulsory to all rental houses since 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords are required to ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In some cases, existing ceiling insulation or insulation in the sub floor space might need to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness as well as making more easy to the home to hold the heat.

Insulation requirements to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" signifies thermal resistance and is a gauge of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the more efficient the insulation.

• Zone 1 Zone 1 Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the remainder 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

See the full details of the Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Clive Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Protecting your rental property from dampness isn’t just about the inside; you have to ensure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it is about damp and water, it’s often the things you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing damage to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to get rid of storm water, surface water and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that water is able to go, and also that it can’t linger underneath the buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to the drainage system that will prevent moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between the floor and surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier usually a sheet of polythene that is placed over the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from rising into the structure. It also helps prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Clive

Property rental areas that are affected by The Healthy Homes Standard in Clive include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Clive for Rental Properties

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

• Is the sub floor space covered in insulation and is there a ground water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there draught stopping?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of the tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For professional guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties home evaluation.