Healthy Homes Assessment Hastings

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure their Hastings rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewed or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely 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 assess your rental property to determine if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. Following the assessment, we will advise you or your property manager about any tasks that requirements to be completed, and offer the report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations in the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes relevant fines.

Our company is fully independent assessors of rental properties, we are completely qualified to evaluate both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, once a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Hastings rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items need to be finished within 90 days.

From the 1st of July in 2021, once a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Hastings rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the period of time expected can lead to an amount of $7200. Additionally, if the most current Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance isn’t incorporated in the renewal, new or amended tenancy agreement it could result in an additional fine or infringement fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the the property manager doesn’t provide the necessary information within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they could receive an infringement letter and be fined up to $750.

In addition, there’s an additional fine of as much as $900 for landlords or property managers that provide false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the person who is identified on the tenancy agreement as the person who is renting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance requirements to be up-to-date when the tenancy contract is completed, and should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s important to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face more severe penalties for not complying. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own six or more properties can receive fines of up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearings.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in massive fines as well as still being required to comply with the regulations. Don’t take a chance with your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What are the reasons why Healthy Homes Compliance so important?

About 1 in 3 households from New Zealand and Hastings, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be older, colder, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be of poorer quality than houses that are owned by the owner.

The damp, cold and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly for diseases like colds and asthma, as well as cardiovascular conditions. Additionally, those who have reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Hastings rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health and reduce the interruption to learning, work and daily life due to illness. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp-related damage, which completed jobs in lower costs for maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, as well Draught Stopping in Hastings rental properties.

Begin now by calling about receiving a Hastings Healthy Home assessment on your rental property now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Hastings

Draughts are a major cause of less temperature in households. A cold house is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted money and energy.

If a draft can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes the area requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or an unobstructed draught coming from a gap or hole that is, it’s likely to be a gap or hole which requirements sealing in somehow. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. The gaps that exceed 3mm that allow air in or out of your home need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t used it can create draughts. This should be shut off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for making sure that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

There is no require to cover up gaps or holes which are part of the building. For example, tiny gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement within the structure as the house is heated and cools so that they are able to be opened and closed rather instead of being stuck. We will test all windows and doors during our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

The proper heating equipment is important to ensure well-being houses

Heating Hastings

Rental properties in Hastings must have a fixed source of heat that can warm the principal or the biggest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the winter coldest days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The heating source requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity and have the minimum heating capacity needed to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to determine whether the fix heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll need to top up with a new heater. Fires that are open and unflued heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be acceptable heating options for the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat pump, it must include the thermostat. This makes the heating more uniform and effective. In most houses, larger heaters that are fixed, such as wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. However, in certain instances such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the living area is already equipped with a fixed heating source like heat pumps, it might just need an update to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be used to comply with the standard as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate or unsafe to operate.

Check out the complete details on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Hastings

Each liveable space in a rental property must have at least one openable door or window to offer natural airflow. Additionally, areas with high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms must have a suitable venting fan outside to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about recognising it is that dry air is less difficult to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are all considered living spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t considered liveable , and thus are not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door , or the skylight needs for them to be in a position to open to the outside, and stay fixed in an open position, allowing ventilation and fresh air ventilation.

The bathrooms in all kitchens and any other room in your home with a bath, shower and cooktop or another humidity-generating items will require adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient 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 the Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A dry and warm home is an ideal home

Insulation Hastings

Ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory to all rental homes since July 1, 2019. Property managers and landlords have to ensure that the insulation meets the new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home can help control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness and it will make an easier task for the home to retain the heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values for your area

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well insulation withstands heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the higher the quality of 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 and floor R 1.3
• Zone 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.

Hastings Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface and underground water to flow and to prevent it from getting into the building. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often the things you don’t notice that can cause a lot of trouble, causing damages to your investment and harming the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to remove storm water, surface water, and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a proper place to go, and also that it isn’t allowed to remain beneath structures is a crucial aspect of keeping your property dry.

In addition to a drainage system to avoid moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between floorboards and the soil, a ground-water barrier must be put in place when it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

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

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Hastings

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

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Hastings for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to look over when conducting an house inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Is the sub floor space well-insulated? Is there a ground waterproofing barrier?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation require topping up or replacing?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and draught-stopping?
• Does the home have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having an Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of a tenancy solutions ruling could be significant for property managers and landlords. For specialist advice, call today and book your rental property house assessment.