Healthy Homes Assessment Pandora

Rental Property Expert Advice

Healthy Homes Assessment Services

Did you not know that Healthy Homes Standards came into effective on July 1st, 2021? The landlords are now required to ensure that their Pandora rental properties meet the minimum Healthy Homes Standards within 90 days of the start of any new or renewed tenancy and all private rental properties must be fully certified 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 requirements. After assessing, we will advise you or your property manager of the tasks required. needs to be completed, and offer the report with all the information required for your Tenancy Agreement’s Healthy Home Statement of Compliance.

Failure to comply with the requirements of the Healthy Homes Standards is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, and any landlord who is found to be not in compliance could face fines of up to $7,200 in addition to any healthy homes connected fines.

We are fully independent assessors of rental properties, as well as fully certified to assess 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, if a new or renewed contract is signed on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance tasks have to be completed within 90 days.

Beginning on July 1st, 2021, when a new, renewed or varied contract is signed on a Pandora rental property, all Healthy Homes compliance work must be done inside of 90 days.

Failure to comply with each of Healthy Homes Standards within the period of time expected can lead to the possibility of a fine up to $7200. Additionally, if the most existing Healthy Homes Statement of Compliance is not included within the new, renewed or revised tenancy agreement there may be an additional penalty or infringement fee.

Any tenant may request information regarding the Healthy Homes Standard and how they relate to the property they are living in. If the property manager fails to provide the information requested within 21 days of being informed of the request, they may receive an infringement notification and could be fined up to $750.

Furthermore, there’s also a penalty up to $900 for landlords and property managers who provide a false or misleading Healthy Homes Compliance Statement or other information. The person who is liable for this fine is the one who is listed on the tenancy agreement as being the person renting the property and it could be the landlord’s name or the company that manages the property.

The information contained in the Statement of Compliance requirements to be accurate when the tenancy contract is executed, and it must be updated through the tenancy period as necessary work related to it’s finished.

It’s important to note that a landlord who have multiple rental properties could face even higher fines for non-compliance. The most severe penalties are reserved only for serious breaches. Landlords with six or more properties can be fined up to $50,000, and as much as $100,000 in the case of hearing claims.

In the end, a failure to meet requirements of Healthy Homes requirements can hit your bank account and result in massive fines as well as continuing to be required to comply with the requirements. Don’t put your rental at risk. property call us now and ask us to conduct an house inspection performed on your rental property.

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

Healthy homes matter

What is the reason Healthy Homes Compliance important?

Around 1 in 3 households the property in New Zealand and Pandora, and research indicates that rental houses tend to be colder, older, are not as efficient heating and tend to be lower quality than owner occupied properties.

Cold, damp and mouldy homes are linked to negative well-being outcomes, especially for illnesses like colds, flu, asthma and cardiovascular issues. In addition, people who have reported four or more key house quality problems often experience poor life satisfaction and lower mental wellbeing.

Improving the quality of Pandora rental property can help tenants enjoy better physical and mental health, and lessen the disruption to work, learning and living because of health issues. Your investment is also better protected from mould, mildew and damp damages, which means less costs of maintenance in the long run.

The Healthy Homes Standards are a listing of minimum and specific standards for Heating, Insulation, Ventilation, Moisture Ingress and Drainage, and Draught Stopping for Pandora rental properties.

Contact us now to discuss having a Pandora Healthy Home assessment on your rental property today.

Unreasonable Gaps & Holes

Draught Stopping Pandora

Draughts are a major cause of lower temperatures in households. A cold home costs more to heat, which means wasting energy and increased bills.

If a draft can be noticed from gaps that are not adequate or holes that it requirements to be closed.

What are the most unreasonable gaps or holes?

If you can feel external air coming in or the sound of a clear draught emanating from a hole or gap and you can feel it, it is likely a crack or an opening that needs sealing in some way. Cracks or gaps with large gaps must be permanently stopped. Gaps greater than 3mm that allow air to enter or exit from the home require sealing. For example, if an open fireplace is not in use, it can create draughts. This must be sealed from. Landlords and property managers are responsible for ensuring that draughts from the fireplace are removed whenever imaginable.

There is no need to block up intentional gaps or holes that are part of the construction. For instance, small gaps around doors and windows could be required to allow for movement of the building as the home warms and cools to allow them to be shut and opened, rather instead of being stuck. We will inspect all windows and doors as part of your Healthy Homes assessment of your rental property.

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

Adequate heaters are crucial to ensure well-being houses

Heating Pandora

Rental properties in Pandora should have a permanent source of heat which can warm the principal or the biggest living area to at minimum 18degC even on the coldest winter days. This is the recommended minimum indoor temperature that is recommended by the World Health Organisation for people’s physical well-being as well as their mental health.

The source of heating requirements to be fixed (i.e., not portable) that is, at least 1.5 Kilowatts in heating capacity and have the minimum requirement for heat capacity to heat the living space in general. A Heating Assessment Tool can be used to check if the current permanent heater(s) are adequate or if you’ll need to "top up" with a new heater. Open fires as well as unflued combustion heaters such as the portable LPG bottle heaters are not considered to be safe heating options under Healthy Homes Standard. Healthy Homes Standard.

If the heating that you offer is an electric heater or heat pump then it must have the thermostat. This will help make the heating more uniform and efficient. For most homes, larger fixed heating devices such as heat pumps, wood burners, pellet burners or flued gas heaters are necessary. However, in certain instances such as small apartments, a smaller fixed electric heater could be enough.

If your living space already has a central heating source like heat pumps, it may require some additional energy to ensure it meets the requirements. Some types of heaters can’t be utilised to meet the standard as they are either not effective, cost prohibitive to operate and/or unhealthy to run.

Get the complete information on the Healthy Homes heating needs.

Ventilation Pandora

Every living space of the rental property should have at least one opening doors or windows to offer natural ventilation. Furthermore, moist spaces like kitchens and bathrooms should be equipped with an externally vented extractor to eliminate moisture.

This ventilation standard is all about understanding how dried air can be more easy to heat and that a property that is well ventilated is less likely to grow damp and mould.

Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas are considered liveable areas. Connecting spaces such as the hallway aren’t considered liveable and therefore are not require an opening window or door.

Each door, window or the skylight requirements for them to be in a position open to the outside while remaining at an open angle in order to allow for fresh air circulation and air flow.

All bathrooms and kitchens and every other room of your home that has shower, bath, cooktop or other high moisture generating item will need suitable extractor fans which are vented out to the outside. Our Healthy Homes Assessment service will verify that there is enough ventilation in every living space that includes extractor fans that are suitable for areas that are high in moisture.

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

A warm dry home is a healthy home

Insulation Pandora

Insulation for underfloor and ceilings is a requirement to all rental homes since 1 July 2019. All landlords and property managers should ensure that the insulation is up to this new quality. In certain situations, the old ceiling insulation as well as insulation within the sub floor space may require to be filled with or replaced.

A properly insulated home will reduce the risk of condensation and reduce the chances of mould and dampness, as well as making an easier task for the household to hold heat.

Insulation needs to meet the R-values of your area.

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

• Zone 1 - Auckland & Northland - ceiling R 2.9 and underfloor R 1.3
• Zone 2 – the rest area of 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 all of the South Island – ceiling R 3.3 (underfloor R 1.3

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

Pandora Moisture Ingress & Drainage

Keeping your rental property safe from water damage isn’t only about the inside of the building it is also about the outside. You must ensure there is somewhere for rain, surface as well as groundwater to move and stop it from coming into the building. When it is damp and moisture, it’s usually the concerns you don’t notice that could be a huge problem, causing the property to suffer and affecting your tenant’s well-being.

Properties that are rented must have effective drainage to eliminate floodwaters, surface water, and ground water, which includes an appropriate outfall or runoff. Making sure the water has a location to go, and also that it doesn’t get sucked into buildings is a vital aspect of keeping your property dry.

Alongside a drainage system to avoid water ingress, if the rental is enclosed between your flooring and the surface, a ground moisture barrier should be put in place if it is reasonably practicable to do so.

An underground moisture barrier usually a polythene sheet laid over the ground, to block any moisture in the ground from accumulating into the structure. It also helps in preventing moisture damage to the underfloor insulation.

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

Is your rental a Healthy Home?

Rental Property Home Assessments Pandora

Areas of rental properties that are impacted through The Healthy Homes Standard in Pandora include each:

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

Checking Your Healthy Home?

Home Assessments Pandora for Rental Properties

There are numerous things to check when conducting the home inspection to determine whether your rental property meets the minimal requirements of the Healthy Homes Standard. A few examples are:

• Does the subfloor space insulated and is a ground moisture barrier in place?
• Is the ceiling insulation in need of topping up? require topping up or replacing?
• Is the heater equipped with enough capacity?
• Do you have enough drainage? draught-stopping?
• Does the home have adequate ventilation? This includes extractor fans?

The consequences of not having a Healthy Home with regard to The Residential Tenancies Act and consequently being in the wrong of the ruling on tenancy services ruling can be extremely costly for property managers and landlords. For expert guidance, contact us today to schedule your rental properties house evaluation.