Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley-Chatham

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st of July 2021? Landlords are now required to make sure that their Kingsley-Chatham rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any renewal or new tenancy and all private rental properties must be completely compliant by 1 July 2024.

The areas that are covered by the Healthy Homes Standards are:

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

We will assess your rental property to check whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After the assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work needed to be completed. requirements to be completed, and provide a report with all the information needed for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors for rental properties, as well as fully certified for 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, once a new or renewed tenancy is signed for a Kingsley-Chatham rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance items must be finished inside of 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied Tenancy is signed for the Kingsley-Chatham rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be finished by the end of 90 days.

Failure to meet any of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement, it could result in an additional fine or violation fee.

Any tenant can ask for details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days from getting the notice, the tenant could receive an infringement notice and be fined upto $750.

Additionally, there is also a penalty of up to $900 for landlords and property managers that provide false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or any other information. The person liable for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy contract as the person who is letting the property which could be the name of the landlord or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Compliance Statement requirements to be current before the tenancy agreement can be signed. It must be updated throughout the duration of the tenancy when any relevant work gets completed.

It is also crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The highest penalties are handed down only for serious violations, and landlords who own more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 for hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to adhere to the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account hard, resulting in significant fines and still being required to comply with the regulations. Do not risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a house evaluation performed for your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

About 1 in 3 households rent the property in New Zealand and Kingsley-Chatham, and research has shown that these rental homes tend to be older, colder, have less effective heating and have lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative health outcomes, particularly illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, people who have reported four or more key issues with their housing often have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improve the standard of Kingsley-Chatham rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the disturbance to learning, work and daily life because of health issues. Your investment is also secured from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a list of the specific and minimum standards for Heating, Insulation Ventilation, Moisture ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught-stopping within Kingsley-Chatham rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Kingsley-Chatham Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley-Chatham

Draughts can lead to less temperature in homes. A draughty home is more expensive to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught can be felt from unreasonable gaps or holes, it requirements to be closed.

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air flowing in or the air is clear from a hole or gap or crack, then it’s likely a crack or hole that needs sealing in any way. Large gaps and cracks should be sealed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that allow air in or out into your home require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and must be sealed off. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed in the maximum extent possible.

There is no require to block gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For example, tiny gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for the movement of the building when the home warms and cools so that they are able to be closed and opened rather than securing. We will check all doors and windows as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley-Chatham

Rental properties in Kingsley-Chatham must have a fixed source of heating that can warm the main or largest living room to at least 18degC, even during the most coldest days of the year. This is the minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health and mental well-being.

The heating source needs that it be permanently fixed (i.e. not portable) with at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum requirement for heat capacity for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to check if the permanent heater(s) are sufficient or if you’ll require to "top-up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters like mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump then it must have a thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and effective. For the majority of houses, bigger fixed heating equipment like wood burners, heat pumps, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are needed. In certain situations, such as small apartments an electric, fixed heater may be sufficient.

If your main living space already has a central heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just need an update to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to meet the standard since they’re either inefficient, unaffordable to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

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

Ventilation Kingsley-Chatham

Every living space in a rental property has to have at least one opening windows or an exterior door to offer natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can get rid of moisture.

A ventilation standard is all about understanding that dry air will be more easy to heat, and that an apartment that is well-ventilated is less likely to grow mould and damp.

Living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallways are not liveable and therefore are not need an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position to open up to the outside and remain closed to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home with shower, bath and cooktop or another moisture generating item will require adequate extractor fans that are vented out to the outside. We offer a Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in each livable space and will also check for the proper extractor fans in high moisture areas.

See the full details of the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A cozy dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Kingsley-Chatham

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings has been compulsory for all rent houses since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers should make sure that the insulation meets current quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space may need to be filled with or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will help to control condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, and it will make more easy to the household to hold the heat.

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

The "R" is a symbol for thermal resistance, and is a gauge of how well insulation is able to resist heat flow. The more high the R-value, better the insulation.

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

Learn more about the Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Kingsley-Chatham Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Making sure your rental property is protected from water damage isn’t only about the interior of the building; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s typically not apparent that it could be a huge problem and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to be equipped with effective drainage for the removal of storm water, surface water, and ground water, including an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure the water has a place to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of making sure your property is dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop moisture ingress, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and ground, a ground moisture barrier must be constructed if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are generally made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture from the ground from entering the structure. It also helps to prevent moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes moisture ingress and drainage quality.

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Kingsley-Chatham

The areas of rental property that are affected to The Healthy Homes Standard in Kingsley-Chatham include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Rooms
• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley-Chatham for Rental Properties

There are a myriad of things to be able to examine during the house inspection to determine whether your rental property is in compliance with all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standard. There are a few examples:

• Is the space under the floor covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier present?
• Is the ceiling insulation in require of topping up? need replenishment or replacement?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Is there adequate drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home has enough ventilation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having an Healthy Home with regard to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For specialist advice, call now and schedule your rental property home evaluation.