Healthy Homes Assessment Kingsley-Chatham

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you have any idea that the Healthy Homes Standards came into in force on July 1, 2021? Landlords must make sure that their Kingsley-Chatham rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of a new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties are required to 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 evaluate your rental property and determine whether it satisfies the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we’ll advise you or your property manager about any work required. requirements to be completed, and offer an assessment report that includes all the necessary information to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a breach in the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found not following the rules could be subject to fines of up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re fully qualified for both Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 894 138

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on a Kingsley-Chatham rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, if a new, renewed or varied tenancy is signed on the Kingsley-Chatham rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be taken care of inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards inside of the expected timeframe can result in penalties of up to $7200. Additionally, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not incorporated within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they are related to the house they reside in. If the property manager does not supply the required information within 21 days of being informed of the request, they can be issued an infringement notice and could be fined up to $750.

In addition, there is also a penalty approximately $900 for property owners or property managers who have provided a false or misleading Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the person who is named on the tenancy agreement as the one who is letting the property out, so it could be the name of the landlord as well as the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance needs to be accurate before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be kept updated during the entire tenancy, as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It is crucial to keep in mind that a landlord who own multiple rental properties could face additional fines for non-compliance. The harshest penalties are handed down for serious violations. Those who have more than six properties could be fined up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to meet the Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket 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 now and ask us to conduct an house assessment done on the rental property you are renting.

Get the full description of how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

About 1 in 3 households rent from New Zealand and Kingsley-Chatham, and research has shown that these rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as effective heating, and generally tend to be lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses can have negative well-being results, specifically for illnesses like colds, influenza, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who report at least four major housing quality problems frequently have less satisfaction in their lives and lower well-being.

Improving the quality of Kingsley-Chatham rental property will allow tenants to enjoy improved physical and mental health as well as lessen interruption to learning, work and living due to health issues. Your investment is also safeguarded from mildew, mould and damp damages, which means lower costs for maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation and Ventilation and Drainage, and Draught Stopping within Kingsley-Chatham rental properties.

Get started now and contact us about having a Kingsley-Chatham Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Kingsley-Chatham

Draughts increase the likelihood of low temperatures inside homes. A cold house will cost more to heat, resulting in wasted energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught could be perceived as a result of gaps or holes that it requirements to be sealed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air getting in, or see an unobstructed draught coming out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it’s most likely a gap or crack that needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Any gaps greater than 3mm that let air into or out of your home need sealing. In the case of an open fireplace isn’t in use it could cause draughts, and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped as much as imaginable.

There is no need to block gaps or holes that are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be required to allow for movement of the structure when the house heats and cools, so that they are able to be closed and opened instead of than sticking. We will test all doors and windows as part of our Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

See the full details regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

Proper heating is important for well-being homes

Heating Kingsley-Chatham

Kingsley-Chatham rental properties need to have a stable heating source that can warm the main or largest living space to at least 18 degrees Celsius, even on the coldest days of the year. This is the minimum temperature indoors that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical health as well as their mental health.

The heating source needs to remain fixed (i.e., not portable), at least 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed in the living area. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the existing installed heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters like portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating system you offer is electric heating or heat pump it must have an thermostat. This makes the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as heat pumps, wood burners pellet burners, flued gas heaters will be required. However, in certain instances like apartments with small spaces the smaller fixed electric heater may be sufficient.

If the main living room already has a central heating source, such as an air conditioner, it might just require a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the standard because they’re not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications on details on Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Kingsley-Chatham

Each liveable space in the rental property should include at least one open door or window to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor fan that can take moisture away.

It is the ventilation quality is all about understanding that the dry atmosphere is more easy to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to be a victim of damp and mould.

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

Each window, door or Skylight requirements at least of opening to the outside and remain closed, allowing ventilation and fresh air air flow.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and any other area in your house that houses a bath, shower or cooktop, or any other moisture-producing item will require adequate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces that includes extractor fans that are suitable in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about this Healthy Homes ventilation quality.

A cozy dry house is a healthy house

Insulation Kingsley-Chatham

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental houses from 1 July 2019. Property managers and landlords must ensure that the insulation is in line with this new standard. In some instances, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the subfloor space may need to be added or replaced.

A properly insulated home will help to control condensation and lower the chance of mould and dampness, as well as making an easier task to the house to keep heat.

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

The "R" signifies thermal resistance, and is a measure of how well the insulation resists heat flow. The greater the R-value, the higher the standard of insulation.

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

See the full details of this Healthy Homes insulation standard.

Kingsley-Chatham Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from the effects of moisture isn’t just a matter of what’s inside the building; you have to ensure there is somewhere for surface, rain as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming inside. When it comes to moisture and damp it’s often those concerns that you aren’t aware of that can cause a lot of trouble and end up causing the property to suffer and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties should have efficient drainage to get rid of the stormwater and surface waters and ground water. This includes the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure the water is able to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Alongside the drainage system that will prevent water ingress, if the property has an enclosed space between your flooring and the ground, a ground water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

Ground moisture barriers are typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground to stop any moisture present in the ground from rising into the home. It also assists in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

Learn more about The 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 by The Healthy Homes Standards in Kingsley-Chatham include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Kingsley-Chatham for Rental Properties

There are numerous concerns to be able to examine during a house assessment to see if your rental property meets the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Is the space under the floor protected and does it have a moisture barrier in place?
• Do you think the ceiling insulation need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have sufficient capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and stopping of draughts?
• Does the home have sufficient ventilation including extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy home that is in compliance with regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For professional guidance, contact us today and book your rental properties house evaluation.