Healthy Homes Assessment Meeanee

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you know that the Healthy Homes Standards came into effect on the 1st July 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure their Meeanee rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any renewed or new 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 can evaluate your rental property to check if it meets the NZ Healthy Homes and Residential Tenancy Acts requirements. After assessment, we will advise you or your property manager of any tasks which needs to be done, and provide an evaluation report with all the details required for your tenancy contract’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to fulfill the requirements to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord found to not conforming to the standards could be held accountable for up to $7,200 plus additional healthy homes connected fines.

We’re completely independent assessors for rental properties, in addition, we’re completely certified to assess each of Healthy Homes and Homefit.

Call Now 0800 365 444

Rental Property Healthy Homes Fines

Fines for Failing to Comply

Since the 1st July of 2021, when a brand new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Meeanee rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks need to be finished by the end of 90 days.

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

Failure to adhere to one of the Healthy Homes Standards by the end of the period of time expected can lead to penalties 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, there could be an additional fine or violation fee.

Every tenant is entitled to request details about the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the building they live in. If the landlord or property manager does not supply the information requested within 21 days from having received the inquiry, they may receive an infringement notification and be fined upto $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty of approximately $900 for landlords and property managers providing a false or inaccurate Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance or information. The person who is responsible for this fine is the one who is named on the lease contract as the person leasing the property out and it could be the name of the landlord or the property management company.

All the information on the Statement of Compliance needs to be up-to-date when the tenancy agreement is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as related work is completed.

It is crucial to be aware that landlords who own multiple rental properties may face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are given for serious breaches. Landlords with more than six properties could receive fines of up to $50,000, and even as high as $100,000 in hearings.

In the end, a failure to comply with requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your pocket and result in significant fines and having to continue to comply. Do not risk your rental property call us now and make arrangements to have a home assessment performed on your rental property.

Find the full information on details on Residential Tenancies Act landlords responsibilities.

Healthy homes are important

Why is Healthy Homes Compliance So Important?

One in three households rent from New Zealand and Meeanee, and research indicates that rental homes are likely to be colder, older and have less efficient heating, and generally are of lower quality than the houses of owners.

Damp, mouldy and cold homes are associated with negative well-being outcomes, especially for diseases like colds and flu, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, people who reported at least four key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Enhancing the quality of Meeanee rental property can help tenants enjoy better mental and physical health and minimise the disruptions to their work, education and living due to illness. Your investment is also better protected from mildew, mould and damp , which means less costs of maintenance in the long-term.

The Healthy Homes Standard is a set of specific and minimal requirements for heating, insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Control on Meeanee rental properties.

Begin now by calling about having a Meeanee Healthy Home assessment on your rental property right now.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Meeanee

Draughts are a major cause of dropping temperatures within households. A draughty home costs more to heat, which completed jobs in wasting money and energy.

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

What are unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you are able to feel external air flowing in or a clear draught out of a hole or gap and you are able to feel it, it is likely a crack or hole which needs sealing in the way you can. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. The gaps that exceed 3mm that let air in or out within your house require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace isn’t used it could cause draughts, and must be sealed from. Property managers and landlords are accountable for ensuring that these draughts are stopped whenever imaginable.

You don’t need to block gaps or holes which are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around windows and doors could be necessary to allow for movement of the building when the house warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather than sticking. We will inspect all windows and doors as part of the Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

Get the complete information regarding the Healthy Homes draught stopping requirements.

A good heating system is crucial for well-being houses

Heating Meeanee

Meeanee rental properties must have a fixed source of heating which can warm the largest or main living space to a minimum of 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 as well as their mental health.

The heating source requirements to be fixed (i.e. not portable) that is, at least 1.5 kW in heating capacity, and it must have the minimum heating capacity needed for the main living space. A Heating Assessment Tool may be used to determine whether your current fix heater(s) are adequate or whether you will require to ‘top up’ with a new heater. Open fires and unflued combustion heaters such as small portable LPG bottle heaters aren’t considered to be suitable heating options under the Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you provide is electric heating or heat source, it should be equipped with 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. In some instances, like small apartment buildings an electric, fixed heater may suffice.

If the main living room already has a fixed heating source, such as a heat pump, then it might just require an upgrade to make sure it meets the requirements. Certain kinds of heaters aren’t able to be used to achieve the standard as they are either not efficient, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Find the complete specifications on the Healthy Homes heating requirements.

Ventilation Meeanee

Every living space of a rental property has to have at least one openable windows or an exterior door to provide natural airflow. Furthermore, moist areas like kitchens and bathrooms should have an externally vented extractor to get rid of moisture.

This ventilation standard is about recognising it is that dry air will be less difficult to heat, and that a well ventilated rental property will be less prone to developing damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms are considered liveable spaces. Connecting spaces like the hallway aren’t living spaces and therefore do not need an opening window or door.

Each window, door or the skylight needs at least of opening to the outside while remaining fixed in an open position in order to allow for fresh air circulation and ventilation.

All kitchens and bathrooms, and any other room in your home that has a bath, shower, cooktop or other high water-generating appliance will require adequate extractor fans that vent to the outdoors. The Healthy Homes Assessment service will ensure that there is sufficient ventilation throughout the living spaces and will also check for the proper extractor fans in areas with high moisture.

Learn more about the Healthy Homes ventilation standard.

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Meeanee

Underfloor and ceiling insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes since July 1, 2019. All landlords and property managers must make sure that the insulation is up to this new standard. In certain situations, the current ceiling insulation, or the insulation of the subfloor space might require to be replaced or replaced.

A properly insulated home can reduce condensation, and decrease the risk of mould and damp, and it will make much easier for the house to hold the heat.

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

The "R" stands for thermal resistance, and it is a measurement of how well the insulation can withstand heat flow. The more R-value is higher, the better the insulation.

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland Ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – The rest 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 below floor R 1.3

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

Meeanee Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from dampness isn’t just about the interior of the building It’s about having to make sure there is somewhere to allow surface, rain or ground water and stop it from coming inside. When it concerns damp and moisture it’s often not apparent that it can become a big problem that can cause damages to your investment and affecting your tenant’s health.

Rental properties should be equipped with effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water and groundwater, with the proper outfall or runoff. Making sure that water has a location to go, and it isn’t allowed to remain beneath buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid the ingress of moisture, if your rental is enclosed between floorboards and the ground, a ground water barrier must be constructed if it’s reasonably practicable to do so.

The ground-moisture barrier usually made of polythene and is laid on top of the ground, in order to block any moisture present in the ground from getting into the home. It also assists in preventing from causing damage to the flooring insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Meeanee

Rental property areas affected with the Healthy Homes Standard in Meeanee include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Meeanee for Rental Properties

There are a variety of concerns to check when conducting a home assessment to see if your rental property meets all the basic requirements of Healthy Homes Standards. Some examples include:

• Are the floor spaces covered in insulation and is there a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? need replenishment or replacement?
• Does the heat pump have enough capacity?
• Does the water flow properly and is there stopping of draughts?
• Does the house have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The repercussions of not having the Healthy home that is in compliance with The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being on the wrong side of the Tenancy solutions ruling can be extremely costly for property owners and landlords. For specialist advice get in touch today to schedule your rental property house evaluation.