Healthy Homes Assessment Lochain

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 must ensure that their Lochain rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy, and all private rentals must be completely compliant by 1 July 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 check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts standards. After assessing, we’ll advise you or your property manager of the tasks that requirements to be done, and offer an evaluation report with all the information needed to complete your tenancy agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to meet the obligations under the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not complying may be liable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthier homes related fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties and are completely certified for each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new or renewed contract is signed on a Lochain rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work have to be finished by the end of 90 days.

As of 1st July 2021, once a new, renewed or varied lease is entered into on the Lochain rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done by the end of 90 days.

Inability to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards inside of the deadlines can result in a fine of up to $7200. Furthermore, if a currently-in place Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included in the renewal, new or revised tenancy agreement it could result in an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Anyone can request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they live in. If the landlord or property manager fails to supply the required information within 21 days of getting the notice, the tenant can receive an infringement notice and be fined up to $750.

Additionally, there is an additional fine of approximately $900 for landlords or property managers who offer a false or incorrect Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or information. The person liable for this fine is whoever is identified on the tenancy contract as the person renting the property It could also be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Compliance Statement needs to be up-to-date before the tenancy agreement can be signed, and ideally it should be maintained during the entire tenancy, as associated work has been completed.

It’s crucial to remember that landlords who own multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved for severe breaches. Landlords with six or more properties could be fined up to $50,000 and as high as $100,000 in hearing claims.

Clearly, failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket hard, resulting in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t risk your rental property, contact us today and make arrangements to have an home assessment done for your rental property.

See the full details for how to apply the Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes matter

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Lochain, and research has shown that these rental homes are most likely to be colder, older, have less effective heating and tend to be of poorer quality than owner occupied properties.

Damp, mouldy and cold houses are linked to negative well-being results, specifically for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and heart diseases. In addition, people who experience four or more major house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower psychological well-being.

Improving the quality of Lochain rental property will help tenants experience improved physical and mental health and minimise the interruption to learning, work and daily life because of illness. Your investment will be secured from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific requirements for heating, insulation Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, as well as Draught stopping within Lochain rental properties.

Start now and call about receiving a Lochain Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Lochain

Draughts increase the likelihood of less temperature in households. A draughty house is more expensive to heat, which completed jobs in wasting energy and incurring higher costs.

If a draught is noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes the area needs to be sealed.

What are unjustifiable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air coming in or the air is clear from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it’s likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be fixed permanently. Cracks that are greater than 3mm and let air in or out into your house need to be sealed. For instance, if an open fireplace isn’t being used, it could cause draughts, and should be shut off. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that such draughts are squelched as far as imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes which are part of the building. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors may be required to allow for movement of the building as the house gets warmer and cooler, so that they are able to be shut and opened, rather than being stuck. We will test all doors and windows during the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Proper heating is important to ensure well-being homes

Heating Lochain

Rental properties in Lochain must have a fixed source of heating that is able to heat the principal or the biggest living space to a minimum of 18degC even on the coldest days of the year. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being and mental outlook.

The source of heating requirements that it be permanently fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at minimum 1.5 kW of heating capacity, and must meet the minimum required heating capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool could be used to determine if the fixed heater(s) are sufficient or whether you will need to top up with an additional heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters, such as mobile LPG bottle heaters are not considered acceptable heating options in the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating you provide is an electric heater (or heat pump), it needs to include an thermostat. This will help make the heating more reliable and effective. In most homes, larger fixed heating systems such as wood burners, heat pumps pellet burners, flued gas heaters are required. However, in certain instances such as small apartments the smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If the main living room already has a central heating source like heat pumps, it might need a top up to be able to meet the standards. Certain kinds of heaters cannot be utilised to meet the quality since they’re either costly, not cost-effective to run, and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications for the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Lochain

Each living space within a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural ventilation. Additionally, areas with high moisture spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor fan that can remove moisture.

A ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dried air can be less difficult to heat and the property that is properly ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

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

Every window, door or Skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position to allow ventilation and fresh air air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens as well as any other space in your home with shower, bath or cooktop, or any other water-generating appliance will require proper extractor fan systems that can be vented to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will make sure there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces with the right extractor fan in areas with high moisture.

Check out the complete details of this Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A dry and warm house is an ideal house

Insulation Lochain

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is mandatory to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers are required to ensure that the insulation is in line with this new quality. In some cases, an existing insulation on the ceiling or in the sub floor space might need to be added or replaced.

A house that is well-insulated will reduce the risk of condensation and lessen the likelihood of mould and damp, and will also make much easier to allow the household to keep warmth.

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 more effective the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – all of the North Island except Taupo and the Central Plateau – ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 3 - North Island Taupo, Central Plateau and the entire South Island – ceiling R 3.3 below floor R 1.3

Find out all the details about this Healthy Homes insulation quality.

Lochain Moisture Ingress & Drainage

The security of your rental home from moisture isn’t just about the inside; you have to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain and underground water to flow and stop it from coming into the building. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s usually not apparent that it could become a major issue and cause damage to your investment and affecting the tenant’s well-being.

Rental properties require to have effective drainage to eliminate rainwater, storm water, and groundwater, with an appropriate runoff or outfall. Making sure that the water has a location to go, and it doesn’t get sucked into structures is an important aspect of maintaining your property’s dry.

In addition to an irrigation system to stop the ingress of moisture, if your property has an enclosed space between your flooring and soil, a ground-water barrier should be put in place if it’s reasonably practicable to install it.

An underground moisture barrier typically an insulating sheet of polythene laid over the ground, to block any moisture present in the ground from entering the home. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Lochain

The areas of rental property that are affected with the Healthy Homes Standards in Lochain include each:

• Living Room
• Bedrooms
• Dining Room
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens
• Laundry

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Lochain for Rental Properties

There are many things to be able to examine during a home review to determine if your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards. There are a few examples:

• Does the subfloor space protected and does it have a water barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need to be topped up or replaced?
• Can the unit heat up enough capacity?
• Are there enough drainage and draught stopping?
• Does the house have enough air circulation, including extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having a Healthy home in relation to regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act and consequently getting on the wrong side of an ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for landlords and property managers. For expert assistance, get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.